They only sent a letter-request for a bid, which does not give any legal and financial obligation to the ministry to sign a contract.
The acquisition of eight new F-16 Block 70 fighters is the sole responsibility of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Defense said.
In connection with the publications on the project for acquisition of a new type of fighter aircraft, the department provides additional information.
The caretaker government has no powers and is not negotiating the purchase of eight new F-16 Block 70 fighters.
“The project is one of the priorities for the modernization of the Armed Forces. For its implementation pursuant to Article 16, paragraph 7a of the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, two parliaments – 43rd and 44th, adopted decisions, approving the Investment Expenditure Project (PID) for “Acquisition of a new type of fighter aircraft” (Decision of the National Assembly of June 2, 2016, promulgated in SG, issue 43, of June 7, 2016), and subsequently and its update – Updated project for investment expenditure (APIR) “Acquisition of a new type of fighter aircraft” (Decision of the National Assembly, promulgated in SG, issue 51, dated 19.06.2018), is added in the announcement.
The project approved by the parliament is for the acquisition of 16 aircraft of one type in one configuration. It is planned to implement it in two stages: first – for the acquisition of 8 aircraft, and second – for the acquisition of 8 more aircraft. In early 2019, at the suggestion of the Council of Ministers and as a result of a decision of the National Assembly to implement the first stage, four agreements were signed between the governments of Bulgaria and the United States for the purchase of eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft and related equipment, services and armaments, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Observing the deadlines of the planned processes set by the decisions of the 43rd and 44th parliaments for the acquisition of a total of 16 aircraft, the Ministry of Defense continues the preparations for the implementation of the second stage of the project. So now the only possible approach is sending a letter of request for an offer, and only after receiving the answer, which would take from 6 to 8 months, can a PIR be prepared with detailed and correct parameters such as: price, scope, method of payment and amount of installments, delivery times, etc., it is written in the message.
Only after the adoption of the PIR by the parliament (in case it is adopted), it is possible to proceed to the signing of an agreement, which will be implemented only after the National Assembly ratifies it and gives the green light to the project. That is, in the case it is only a matter of obtaining mandatory information for the implementation of the project, added by the ministry.
Under the terms of the US Foreign Military Sales Program, sending such a letter of request does not create any legal or financial obligation for the Department to sign a contract.
“The final decision – when, under what conditions and at what price Bulgaria will complete its squadron with F-16 Block 70 is in the powers and responsibilities only of the National Assembly and the next regular government. The same path was taken when signing the first contract.” , stated by the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier today, the GERB-UDF PG issued a declaration accusing Rumen Radev’s government of conducting secret negotiations for the purchase of 8 more F-16 fighters.
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