Bulgaria will not participate in the NATO anti-drone initiative, which was announced in July during the Alliance's meeting in Ankara and has a budget of 40 billion dollars. The decision was officially justified by Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov during parliamentary oversight in the National Assembly, with the main motive being the prevention of military project duplication and the need to align with the Ministry of Defense's limited financial resources.
The inquiry to the Minister of Defense was submitted by Atanas Slavov, a Member of Parliament from DB, who raised the question on the plenary floor: "In Ankara, at the NATO meeting in July, a 40-billion-dollar anti-drone initiative was announced. Would we join this NATO anti-drone initiative, despite having other projects that we are currently implementing?"
In his response, Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov emphasized to the MPs that the country does not have the resources for parallel participation in two initiatives of a similar nature and with similar goals: "We cannot afford, with our available financial resources, to participate in two initiatives of a similar nature. Regarding the 40-billion NATO project you mentioned, well, we have the same project, and Bulgaria has already declared its participation in the EU. Surely you understand that this duplication does not bring much added value if we participate in every possible project."
The Minister highlighted the need for a balanced approach, where the ministry's actions are determined by the state's actual capabilities and financial means. He pointed out specific examples that illustrate the effort to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and costs:
- C-400 transport aircraft project — The Minister noted that Bulgaria has already made financial commitments for the C-17 strategic transport aircraft, for which the country pays every year by covering specific flight hours.
- Unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance — Bulgaria is already part of a NATO project through which it receives real-time intelligence from unmanned aerial systems.
In conclusion, Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov assured that the department is carefully monitoring all international initiatives in the sector. He emphasized that if free financial resources are available and after an assessment of the military expertise proves the necessity of joining a project, the Ministry of Defense will take the appropriate steps to participate.