December 6 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's government said that it has approved the defence ministry's intention to bump up its expenditure this year by 16 million levs ($9.1 million/8.2 million euro) to ensure the overhaul of the country's MiG-29 fighter jets.
The project for the overhaul of the fighter jets will allow the country to carry out its Air Policing duties under the NATO framework, the government said in a statement earlier this week.
In March last year, the defence ministry signed a four-year framework agreement for the maintenance of MiG-29 fighter jets worth up to 21 million euro with Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG. The agreement envisages integrated logistics support of 15 fighter jets of the Bulgarian Air Force - 12 MiG-29A and three MiG-29UB - for a total of 1,450 flight hours per year.
Earlier this year, Bulgaria paid $1.2 billion (1.1 billion euro) for the delivery of eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets along with the related equipment and weapons from the U.S.
The deal envisages the delivery of six single-seat F-16 jets and two two-seat aircraft used for training, as well as supply of weapons for the jets, Sidewinder AIM 9Х Block II missiles, and a multifunctional information distribution system joint tactical radio system (MIDS JTRS).
The first F-16 fighter jets are expected to be delivered to Bulgaria by the end of 2022.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)