Bulgarian Govt Seeks Mandate to Start Talks with U.S. for F-16 Acquisition
Bulgaria's government has asked parliament for a mandate to start negotiations with the United States for acquisition of new F-16 fighter jets, defence minister Krasimir Karakachanov said on Wednesday. During the negotiation process in the past several months, we received certain assurances that the price will be corrected, Karakachanov said during a briefing following a government meeting, as seen in a video file published by local private broadcaster bTV. Last month, the Bulgarian ministries of defence and economy proposed to the government to seek a mandate from parliament to start talks with the U.S. for the acquisition of new fighter jets as part of the procurement process launched last year "The acquisition of new multipurpose fighters like the F-16V Block 70 from the U.S., equipped with the latest generation radar and weaponry, will significantly improve the combat capabilities of the Bulgarian Air Force," Karakachanov said at the time. In October, Bulgaria said that the U.S., Sweden and Italy have responded to its request for proposals for supply of up to 16 fighter jets to replace the ageing fleet of Russian-made combat aircraft of the Bulgarian Air Force.