The policy of relying on Soviet platforms in the Air Force and the delayed rearmament have led to a crisis in the state of aviation technology. The three air disasters in three years are extremely worrying.
This was stated by the Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov, BGNES reported.
At a press conference Zapryanov, the Chief of Defense Adm. Emil Eftimov and the Deputy Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Tsanko Stoykov, presented the results of the inspection of flight training in the Air Force and the "Georgi Benkovski" air force school. after the plane crash near Graf Ignatievo on September 13, in which two Bulgarian pilots died.
Much of the information in the report is classified.
"With this report we are not looking for fault. In three years, there have been three crashes at three airbases, and this is extremely worrying," Zapryanov said, noting the "chronic shortage" of serviceable aircraft, which is why the flight of pilots for all tasks and combat training exercise cannot be supported.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, neither the MiG-29 nor the SU-25 have anywhere to be repaired. The same applies to the MI-17 helicopters. Western models, such as the "Cougar" and "Spartan" planes, and are dependent on a lack of sufficient finances, explained the Minister of Defense.
Zapryanov made remarks about discipline and the application of the legal framework in the Air Force.
"It is within my authority to make personnel decisions and I will make them," he said.
Adm. Eftimov stated that the Air Force Command is about to present a concept for training aviation.
Weak discipline, weak commanders who do not perform their duties well, little and poorly maintained equipment.