The Bulgarian army has been wanting to replace its infantry fighting vehicles for years [VCI] BMP-1 of Soviet origin… However, budgetary constraints and the need to finance other priorities, such as the acquisition of new F-16 Viper combat aircraft, have complicated its task so far.
Indeed, Sofia had launched a call for tenders to acquire up to 150 new VCIs for around 1.5 billion levs [770 millions d’euros]. And, in October 2020, two finalists were designated, namely the Finnish Patria and the American General Dynamics Land Systems [GDLS].
Only a few months later, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense announced the cancellation of the procedure. “The prices proposed by the two companies admitted to the second phase greatly exceed the amount of the envelope approved by the National Assembly”, he argued.
But the war in Ukraine changed the situation. In 2022, Bulgaria’s military expenditure was 1.54% of GDP. And they were increased to 1.9% of GDP in 2023… and will reach 2% of GDP in 2024, in accordance with the commitments made within NATO. And this made it possible to relaunch the project to purchase new VCIs… but without going through a call for tenders.
Last May, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov [remplacé depuis par Todor Tagarev, ndlr] said he was waiting for an offer from the United States for a government-to-government contract to purchase Stryker armored vehicles. “The procedure for acquiring armored vehicles for the infantry is progressing at a rapid pace. We are waiting for a firm offer and I hope to have a contract by the end of the year,” he said. And to add: “The project is extremely competitive in terms of price compared to all the other information that we have received”.
However, responsible for examining requests for the purchase of American military equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency [DSCA] has just published a notice recommending that the United States Congress approve the potential sale to Bulgaria of 183 vehicles of the “Stryker” range, for an estimated amount of 1.5 billion dollars [soit 1,4 milliard d’euros].
The proposed sale “will improve the rapid deployment and projection capability of Bulgarian forces. Bulgaria will use this capability to strengthen the defense of its territory and deter regional threats”, justifies the DSCA in its opinion.
As a reminder, produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, the Styker entered service with the US Army in the early 2000s. This 18-ton armored vehicle has a range of 500 km and is capable of driving up to 100 km/h, carrying 9 soldiers on board. It comes in 18 different versions. Bulgaria will be the fifth country to do so, after the United States, Thailand, North Macedonia and Ukraine. [qui en reçu 189 exemplaires au titre de l’aide militaire américaine].
2023-09-02 10:32:56
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