"More expensive and delayed": Bulgaria prepares to buy new 3D radars from "Thales"

With some delay and at a higher cost, Bulgaria is preparing to acquire new "3D radars" for the needs of its air defense. The Parliamentary Defense Committee approved a draft contract with the French company "Thales" worth up to "195 million euros". The main funding will be provided through the European "SAFE" mechanism, which provides preferential loans for the purchase of armament.

The deal is already in an advanced phase, but its current price is about "50 million euros" higher compared to the terms under which the contract could have been signed two years ago. At that time, calculations showed that the package would cost about "150 million euros", while now the sum is approaching "200 million euros".

The project for new radars was initiated back in "2023" by the then caretaker Minister of Defense "Dimitar Stoyanov", who is currently a regular minister in the cabinet of "Rumen Radev". Already then, the proposal of the French corporation "Thales" was ranked first in the procedure. Their offer turned out to be approximately "25%" lower than expected – about "50 million euros" below the indicative framework of "400 million leva".

Thus, it was initially projected that the radars would cost about "150 million euros". Today, however, the prepared deal is estimated at up to "195 million euros". According to the Ministry of Defense, the increase is due to the fact that the country will acquire "the most modern radars possible". Experts cited by "Mediapool", however, express reservations about this explanation and emphasize that the delay in signing the contract leads automatically to an increase in the cost of the project.

Bulgaria plans to purchase "seven" units of "Ground Master – GM400α" three-coordinate radars. In order for the deal to be finalized, the project must also be reviewed by the "plenary hall" of the National Assembly. The lack of modern "3D radars" currently compromises the implementation of the project for acquiring the new "F-16 Block 70" fighter jets, as such systems are key for the command and control of the Air Force.

The purchase of the new 3D radars is emerging as the first major defense deal to be signed by the "Rumen Radev" government. The decision combines the modernization of air defense with the assumption of an additional financial commitment, which comes against the backdrop of a debate over the price of delay and the choice of a specific supplier.