Bulgaria does not have the capacity to acquire second-hand Gripen or F-16 fighter jets. This was stated by Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov during a briefing following a Council of Ministers meeting.

According to him, in the current situation, the only viable solution is to secure spare parts and maintenance for the existing MiG-29 aircraft. The minister described the situation in the Air Force as complex.

"The situation in the Air Force (AF) is complex, and the only solution I see at the moment is the MiG-29, no matter how unpleasant it may be for some," Stoyanov stated yesterday before the parliamentary Committee on Defense. During the hearing, he emphasized that the Ministry of Defense would take all necessary actions to secure parts for the MiG-29.