Parliament ratifies contract for 8 new F-16 fighter jets

Bulgaria’s Parliament on November 25 ratified the agreement between Bulgaria and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to open an account through which the eight new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets will be paid for under the July 15 contract with the United States.

In addition to the aircrafts, the order includes $1.2 billion in ammunition, Air Force training funds, maintenance and spare parts, rescheduled for 10 years.

The deferral period was offered by the US government. After the Ratification Act takes effect, the Foreign Affairs Minister should notify the United States Government of the completion of national procedures.

The treaty does not provide for compensation for lost opportunities. Any disputes will be resolved through intergovernmental consultations.

The ratification of the agreement was supported by the MPs of GERB, “We Continue the Change”, Democratic Bulgaria, “Bulgaria Ascending” and MRF. Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and “Vazrazhdane” voted against.

BSP for Bulgaria strongly opposed the ratification of the contract on the grounds that no aircraft of this modification has yet been produced, the contract does not provide for penalties, and Bulgaria cannot control its financial parameters and the timing of payment of the deferred amounts.

"From a legal point of view, from an economic point of view. From the point of view of national dignity, voting for such a contract is surrendering our national interests and hooking the Bulgarian budget endlessly to the supplier, which spins $65 billion annually. Why does it spin 65 billion? Well, because there are sell-outs all over the world who vote," said Rumen Gechev of BSP.

"Democratic Bulgaria" and GERB criticized the left-wing for dooming our combat aviation.

"Here we have witnessed a remarkable political theatre that takes us back to 1996. This rhetoric, dear prof. Gechev, is worthy of the government of Zhan Videnov, in which you were a minister. My respects to you, but one should not speculate in this way on national interests, much less on the future of Bulgarian military aviation", added Atanas Slavov from Democratic Bulgaria.

"Dear prof. Gechev, you really have the qualities of a fiction writer. I hope you will develop these abilities in the future. Speaking of all these things about the contract and the clauses that are inside, I will just remind you of one thing. This contract, we are focusing now, was negotiated during the term of office of your government. Where were you all the time? Why did you not change all these things that you are talking about? Because they are simply not true," added Hristo Gadzhev of GERB.

"We Continue the Change" focused on the new capabilities that the combat aviation will acquire through the entry into service of the F-16 Block 70 aircraft.

"What is important? The first is that we will finally get a squadron of aircraft for the Air Force. It's normal to have not one, but 3. And when people talk about us being the poorest country and so on, you actually have to realise what the state of the Air Force is at the moment. It was presented by the caretaker Defence Minister at the previous Defence Committee meeting, where it became abundantly clear that next year Bulgaria is losing almost all capabilities. So the talk of national dignity - yes, do you think it is an exceptional national dignity not to actually have an Air Force. And on the expediency of this contract, I think it shouldn't be discussed at all," said Georgi Georgiev of “We Continue the Change”.

"Vazrazhdane" disagreed with the arguments and expressed reservations against the contract.

"Vazrazhdane" will vote against this deal precisely because we want Bulgaria to have an army, to have aviation and the money for defence should be invested in the most sensible way, not in the way we are trying to spend it, obliging the next governments and the next generations to pay this deal, which will not contribute significantly or at all to improving the combat capabilities of our fighter aviation. "Vazrazhdane” will vote against it. The caretaker defence minister refuted the arguments of the socialists and "Vazrazhdane", said Antoni Drenchev of "Vazrazhdane".

"It is not true that there are no parametres in the contract. There are clear parameters in it. There are terms of delivery, there are prices, there are quantities, there is even a payment scheme for each quarter of the 10 years of deferred payment," said caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms and Bulgaria Ascending did not join the debate.