Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry has signed a contract worth more than 9.55 million euro with Polish state company Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 S.A for the overhaul of six Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets at the company’s plant in Poland, the Defence Ministry said on August 11.
The contract was signed in order to ensure the airworthiness of the MiG-29 aircraft until achieving operational capabilities for combat duty with the new F-16 Block 70 fighter jet, the ministry said.
The repair period for each engine may not exceed nine months from the date of handover, according to the agreement.
The first two of the 16 US-made F-16s that Bulgaria is to acquire are scheduled to arrive in 2025.
Pending delivery of the US-made fighter jets that will bring Bulgaria’s Air Force up to Nato standards, recent years have seen the country spending vast sums on overhauls to keep its small number of ageing Soviet-era MiG-29s serviceable.
Source : Sofiaglobe
