Bulgaria, in its recent history, has never had new battleships. For the first time in many years, we have main battleships and they will perhaps be the most modern in the Black Sea. This was said by the former Minister of Defense, Prof. Todor Tagarev, in the program “This Morning“ on bTV.
“The Bulgarian army is a developing organism. It is part of the armed forces of NATO member states. For this reason, we have very solid guarantees for our security. We rely on others, contributing to these common capabilities for our common defense“, explained Tagarev.
According to him, for many years there was almost no new armament in the Bulgarian army and everything that was displayed in the parades was 40-50 years old. “Now the program for rearmament of the army has already begun. We are already seeing completely new modern combat platforms. We expect the first F-16s to fly over the parade today“.
“It is time for the new “Strykers“ to arrive, which will be of several types. We have two ships built. One should be in operational readiness, the second is about to enter such soon“, shared the former Minister of Defense.
Tagarev shared that Bulgaria, in its recent history, has never had new warships with more solid and stable platforms. “We have always relied on Belgian frigates, which we received second-hand from Belgium. But even before that, during Soviet times, ships that were in service in the Soviet Navy came to the Bulgarian fleet. For the first time in many years, we have main warships - patrol ships of a very good class. And they, perhaps, will be the most modern in the Black Sea“.
“When this equipment will be included in the defense of our country depends on the professionals in uniform. The contracts have been concluded, the money has been set aside. Bulgarian society for the most part accepts the need to increase defense spending. They have been significantly increased in the last few years, and a further increase is forthcoming," he commented.
According to the former Defense Minister, these funds are expected to be spent in the best possible way to provide the capabilities that Bulgaria and our army need. "So that we can guarantee our security, together with our allies," he added.
“Bulgaria has not guaranteed its security independently for many years. Any hypotheses in which we compare our army with that of our ally have no logical basis. The important thing is that we contribute commensurate with our economic and demographic capabilities to collective security," Tagarev believes.
According to him, our servicemen must be confident, feel respected and highly prepared in order to find their place and best guarantee our security.