Bulgaria's parliament has approved the purchase of five new air defence systems from Germany, worth more than 1 billion. Defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced the deal in the chamber. It will be paid for with EU money under the SAFE mechanism.
Only Vazrazhdane voted against. All other parties backed it.
"In a changed security environment, we need to build air defence. We can no longer rely on fighter jets alone," Stoyanov said. Closing the debate, he said the army's modernisation will need more than 50 billion, and that the public should know what costs lie ahead.
Dimo Drenchev of Vazrazhdane objected that a 1.1 billion spend is passing without discussion. "We must be a very rich country if spending a billion and a hundred million does not spark a debate," he said. Drenchev said nobody has told the public the price of a single missile, and that people are being given a false sense that the systems will protect them from drones.
Tsvetomir Tsvetanov of Progressive Bulgaria replied that the systems had been discussed in committee. Hristo Gadzhev of GERB reminded MPs that the purchase is funded by EU money under SAFE.
Ivo Tsanev of DPS backed the deal. He said the systems are needed but are arriving very late, and that the country must have air defence, or more precisely anti-aircraft defence. Tsanev called for expanding anti-drone systems.
Atanas Slavov of DB said his party consistently supports modernising the army. He expects anti-drone and jamming systems to be planned.