Bulgaria's army can carry out its tasks at any time with the equipment it has now, but the process of buying new weapons is too slow, Air Force commander Gen Nikolay Rusev has said.

He said the hardest parts are getting modern equipment faster and teaching soldiers to work with new technology.

Rusev said it now takes years to buy weapons and gear, while new technology appears every day. He believes the buying procedures are too long to keep pace.

The general said the military is adapting to a fast-changing situation in which technology is everywhere. The army is working in two directions: updating its equipment and training people in new skills. These include working with autonomous and remotely controlled systems, defending against hybrid threats and introducing digital systems into command and control.

Rusev said the military is working very hard and can act right now with the means it has. Surveillance runs around the clock, the media.

He added that, as a member of Nato, Bulgaria must protect its own territory.