Mikoyan MiG-29

Russia will stop the maintenance of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29s, if the government in Sofia signs a deal with Poland for the repair of their engines, Sergei Korotkov, Director General of the jets' Russian manufacturer MiG Corp., said on Friday.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev expressed hope that parliament will ratify the contract with Poland on the repair of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets in the next one-two weeks.

Nenchev said in Brussels on Thursday that both Bulgaria and Poland will sign the contract once it is ratified, private bTV station quoted him as saying.

Bulgarian Air Force Commander Brig Gen Rumen Radev on Wednesday called for the urgent acquisition of new multirole aircraft.

Brig Gen Radev also warned in an interview with public broadcaster BNT on Monday evening that the government's move to have MiG-29 fighters' engines overhauled in Poland was only a temporary solution to the Air Force's problems.

The Bulgarian government has given Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev a mandate to sign a deal under which the engines of six MiG fighter jets will be overhauled in Poland.

After the cabinet's move, Parliament is yet to ratify the agreement which sparked controversy in Bulgaria and also outrage from Russian manufacturer RSK MiG.

Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were harassed by an unidentified MIG-29 for five minutes during a patrol flight on the border with Syria, the Turkish General Staff has stated.

Russian agency RIA Novosti has published a piece claiming that Bulgaria is about to renounce its own Air Force and "give its air[space] to NATO."

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev stated in a briefing in parliament on Friday that the contract on the repair of the country's MiG-29 fighter jets by Poland will be ratified in a few days.

Nenchev also forecasted that Bulgaria will receive six of the repaired jets until April next year, daily Dnevnik quotes him as saying.

Bulgarian Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said in parliament on Friday that a debate on increasing the country's military spending is forthcoming.

However Goranov expressed doubt whether Bulgaria will be able to fulfill the commitment to its NATO allies according to which the country has to increase its military spending to 2 % of its GDP.

The Bulgarian Air Forces urgently need new multirole aircraft and a decision on the maintenance of currently available MiG-29s, the chair of Parliament's Defense Committee has said.

Parliament's Defense Committee is set to hold a joint meeting with military officials at the Graf Ignatievo military base, Southern Bulgaria, amid calls for urgent measures to address the needs of the country's Air Force.