Bulgaria selects Saab Gripens, updates etc....

[Stratofreighter]

http://airrecognition.com/index.php/arc ... -jets.html

According to the local newspaper iNews, the Bulgaria selected the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to replace an aged fleet of MiG-29 aircraft.

The Bulgarian governement announced today to open talks with Saab for the purchase eight fighter jets in a deal estimated to be worth about $836 million.

Last year Bulgaria issued a RFP to purchase eight aircraft from 2018 to 2021. Sofia chose the Swedish proposal in preference to an offer from Portugal of secondhand U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon jets and an offer from Italy of secondhand Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.

However, the decision is not binding, and the next cabinet will decide how to lead these negotiations through a new working group, which should be formed next week.

Bulgaria eyes new combat aircraft acquisition for a long time. However, even if the decision and the start of the procedure have been delayed for more than 10 years, "The government does not want to stop the acquisition process a new multi-purpose fighter," said Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Stefan Yanev.

A second phase, which would be launched in 2022-2023, will include the purchase of eight more fighters

[Stratofreighter]

...really still haven't made up their minds yet, have they?

https://www.defensenews.com/global/euro ... rofighter/

Bulgarian Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov has promised to relaunch a tender to acquire eight fighter jets.

The country will request new offers from Portugal, which offered secondhand F-16s,
and from Italy, which offered Eurofighter Typhoons.


This means the Bulgarian government will not proceed
to purchase Sweden’s Saab JAS 39 Gripen aircraft
despite previous announcements by the Defence Ministry.

In early October,
a special committee of the Bulgarian parliament released a report calling on the Cabinet
to relaunch the fighter tender
despite the recommendation of a ministerial expert group that ranked the Gripen as the top choice.

“The three bids that have been submitted to date
should allow all participants to offer not only secondhand aircraft,
but also new ones,”
Karakachanov told local broadcaster Bulgarian National Television in an interview.

“I personally believe that if Bulgaria is to buy such aircraft, they should be new.”

The defense minister said he plans to file a new tender proposal to the country’s Council of Ministers by early November.

Bulgaria is aiming to replace its Air Force’s Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets with Western-made aircraft.
The planned deal is estimated to be worth about 1.5 billion lev (U.S. $899.8 million).