April 6 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria received from Poland the first engine for its Soviet-made MiG-29 combat aircraft, the defence ministry in Sofia said.
The engine was received on March 31, the ministry said in a social media post last week.
Bulgaria is close to signing a contract with Poland for the delivery of a second engine for its MiG-29s, caretaker defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov said in a press release last week.
On Wednesday, the defence ministry launched a public tender worth an estimated 16 million levs ($8.9 million/ 8.2 million euro) excluding VAT for the overhaul and upgrade of six RD-33, Series 2 engines for the MiG-29 fighter jets, a notice on the public procurement register showed. Offers are to be submitted by May 3.
In mid-March, the defence ministry launched a separate tender worth 22 million levs excluding VAT for the purchase of six renovated engines for the MiG-29 jets of the Bulgarian Air Force. Offers under that tender will be accepted until April 24.
NATO member Bulgaria is at pains to ensure the airworthiness of its ageing fleet of MiG-29s and to secure replacement combat aircraft until the contracted new F-16 fighter jets are received from the U.S. by the end of the decade.
There are only two offers received for replacement combat aircraft at price terms which would not appeal to lawmakers, BTA state news agency quoted Bulgarian president Rumen Radev as saying last week. Bulgaria previously held talks with France, Sweden and Israel about the potential delivery of replacement combat aircraft.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)