Airplanes at the military base “Graf Ignatievo” Photo: BGNES
Bulgaria gave so many times weapon of Ukraine, but nothing has left yet. As they say – we have the desire, but we do not have the opportunity. Even the promised winter gloves are still here and the Ukrainian soldiers will apparently receive them in the spring.
The modern term “defensive capabilities” has long been used in the defense sector. But the management abilities in it seem to be worse than the meager defensive ones. And supposedly everything on the subject of “help for Ukraine” is “concrete”. Not only do we have a solid Euro-Atlantic majority, but every formation in it is competing to be the first Euro-Atlantic.
Not only do we have the government’s will to help the victim of the Russian aggressor, but also the entire 7 parliamentary decisions that further legitimize it – no matter that from the very beginning the government received a “general mandate” from the National Assembly. And to top it off, the defense minister is not just one of all these like-minded people, but the person with the most NATO halo in our country.
APCs are given but cannot be shipped
Minister Todor Tagarev was criticized several times by DPS and by COAT OF ARMS for slowness in the work of providing arms for Ukraine. But already representatives of the formation that broadcasted it – PP-DB, are not holding back. Because more than 3 months after the final decision of the parliament to send more than 100 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, they are still in our country.
Will Bulgaria finally be able to send the armored personnel carriers to Ukraine? Photo: BGNES
As DB MP Ivaylo Mirchev said: “If tomorrow there is a landing of Russian troops in Varna and we have to transport 100 armored personnel carriers, will we need three months?” It won’t even be just three, but four, because the minister said afterwards, that within a month the machines would go to Ukraine. And the Russian offensive at the front is going full force.
Excuses are always “objective”. But it was very difficult to collect these APCs from different parts of the country, as if it were the size of Russia. But trains had to be provided. But someone had to pay 300,000 euros…
This is a complete shame for the country in front of our partners, in front of Ukrainians and in front of its own citizens. We give equipment for millions, and we don’t have 300,000 euros to pay the transport costs (if it’s true at all), so the British paid.
We have no transport equipment – and how are we ever going to deploy troops within our own territory in wartime? The Ministry of Defense could have looked for the business – in our country, for example, there is a logistics company that transported huge platforms of heavy equipment through our territory for the training of NATO before years. And all this could have been prepared immediately after the first decision of the parliament in July, so that the shipment could be carried out immediately after the expected veto of the president and also his expected rejection, which happened on December 8.
The F-16s will come in a year, but there will be nowhere for them to land
Will there be a place for them to land in Bulgaria? Photo: BGNES
But the shame doesn’t stop there. After the long dissatisfaction and loud insinuations from the opposition that we have paid in advance the F-16 fighter jets, and we will wait for them for years, in the end it will probably turn out that when they finally come, they will have nowhere to land and nowhere to take off from. Because for 4 years we failed to prepare the Third Graf Ignatievo Air Base for them. Yes, there was a delay due to the Covid crisis and the caretaker government of the president, but under the Denkov cabinet, the backlog is not even being caught up, and the costs are increasing.
Now the head of the parliamentary defense committee, Hristo Gadjev (GERB), wants an independent audit of the projects, but Minister Tagarev himself wonders “whether we will be ready to meet them” in March 2025, when the first F-16s should arrive. It will be a big disadvantage if the fighters, paid with Bulgarian money, take off from airports in neighboring countries or stay grounded in our country while waiting for the infrastructure of “Graf Ignatievo” to be built. BGN 235 million have already gone to it, but they are not enough either, and the final stage is nowhere in sight.
A ministry that cannot explain
The expansion and construction of a modern military base “Kabile” near Yambol, which should be ready by 2026, is also under threat of delay. But Mayor Revanski wants to hold a local referendum against it. The Ministry of Defense clearly suffers from communication skills in explaining to the public how during the Warsaw Pact there were operational-tactical missiles there and NATO systems from Turkey, Greece and the US Sixth Fleet were targeted against them, but the local people did not feel threatened, but now that we are surrounded by allies they fear a modern base of their own. Separately, what investments in transport infrastructure and economic revitalization in the area this will bring.
Veselin StoynevPhoto: Daria Spirova
After all, the Minister of Defense did not consider it necessary to vigorously refute from the parliamentary rostrum and in the media the fierce pro-Russian attacks of the opposition against the aid to Ukraine and the rearmament, relying on restrained contempt.
Surgery and shock therapy in the defense sector
With all the political power behind it, the Ministry of Defense is once again as ineffective as before. Whether because of the minister, who turned out to be surprisingly unsuitable for the position, or because of pro-Russian sabotage, incompetence and corruption in the structures under him, surgical intervention is inevitable. If Tagarev is the main culprit, he will bear political responsibility and will not be a minister after the rotation.
If the Ministry of Defense is corroded from the inside, the DANS and the prosecutor’s office must take a hard look at it. The worst is a combination of the two, where shock therapy will also be needed. But the defense sector can no longer remain in nephilim hands, because in an increasingly unstable world, defense will become an increasingly high priority and we will have to catch up faster. More and more billions will be spent on the army, and it will be unacceptable for this money to be wasted and stolen, and not work for our economy.
But the very first task is to stop being a laughing stock to our partners.
This comment expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and DV as a whole.
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This is what weapon Ukraine receives from the West
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, dozens of countries around the world have supplied weapons to Kiev. Including some of the most advanced artillery complexes, armored vehicles and tanks. DV shows some of them.
Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance
A plane carrying military aid to Ukraine
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many countries – from Australia to the United States – have supplied weapons to Kiev. This is not only about ammunition and small arms, but also about heavy systems and armored military vehicles.
Photo: Kacper Pempel/REUTERS
Leopard tanks
The German Leopard 2A6 tank is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, two machine guns, one of which is paired with the gun and the other is for engaging flying targets. The tank can also be equipped with an anti-tank guided missile system. Its crew consists of four people.
Photo: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance
Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicle
“Marder” infantry fighting vehicles have a crew of up to 10 people. They are equipped with a 20mm rapid-fire autocannon and a 7.62mm machine gun paired with it. Launchers for anti-tank guided missiles and grenade launchers can be mounted on the tower. “Marder” is equipped with a ventilation system to protect against chemical attacks and can overcome water obstacles up to two meters deep.
Photo: BeckerBredel/IMAGO
Bradley Fighting Vehicle
The Bradley is the main American infantry fighting vehicle. It combines good protection, powerful weaponry and a very good system for monitoring and controlling fire, including the implementation of a mode for rapid target detection and engagement. To this system there is also a TOW – a very effective anti-tank weapon and an anti-tank missile system with a long range.
Photo: Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo/picture alliance
Cheetah self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
German self-propelled artillery installations “Gepard” can hit targets flying at a height of up to three kilometers and at a distance of up to four kilometers. The system has two Swiss-made Oerlicon KDA 35 mm rapid-fire guns and two radars that detect targets at a distance of up to 15 kilometers.
Photo: Thomas Imo/photothek/IMAGO
The Challenger 2 tank
The Challenger 2 tank is equipped with a 120 mm gun that can store up to 52 charges. Its firing range is up to nine kilometers. The tank is also equipped with two machine guns. “Challenger” 2 is one of the heaviest tanks weighing up to 75 tons. It is powered by a 1200 horsepower diesel engine. With a full tank, it can travel up to 450 kilometers.
Снимка: Tomasz Waszczuk/PAP/epa/dpa/picture alliance
The anti-aircraft missile complex “IRIS-T”
The IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile complex is one of the most modern anti-missile defense systems that can be used against cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft, fighter jets and helicopters at a height of up to 20 kilometers and with a range of up to 40 kilometers. The Bundeswehr itself has not yet introduced this weapon system. It costs about 145 million euros.
Photo: Diehl Defence
The American tank M1A2 “Abrams”
The American M1A2 Abrams tank is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, two 7.62 mm machine guns and one 12.7 mm machine gun. Grenade launchers are mounted on the sides of the dome. The tank is powered by a 1500 horsepower gas turbine engine. Its speed is 72 km/h. on asphalt and 48 km/h. on unfortified territory. The volume of the fuel tank is almost 2 tons.
Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa/picture alliance
The 155 mm howitzer, developed in the United Kingdom, entered service in 2005 and was first used in the war in Afghanistan. It can launch guided missiles with a range of up to 40 km. In intensive mode, it can fire up to 5 projectiles per minute.
Image: US Air Force/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance
Self-propelled artillery system PzH 2000
The German PzH 2000 is one of the most advanced self-propelled artillery systems in the world. It combines resistance, mobility and high rate of fire. There are 60 shells in the battle kit. The range of the system is up to 50 km.
Photo: Philipp Schulze/picture alliance
HIMARS Artillery Missile System
The HIMARS Universal Artillery System can use six missile shells or one ATACMS operational ballistic missile. It can also be used to launch anti-aircraft missiles. It was used by the US in Afghanistan and Syria.
Photo: Getty Images/J. Pix
Anti-aircraft missile complex “Patriot”
The Patriot is an anti-aircraft missile system primarily used by the US military and several allied nations. The Patriot uses missile interceptor systems. The system has four main operational functions: communications, command and control, radar surveillance and missile guidance. The four functions combine to provide coordinated air defense.
Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance
2024-02-21 11:37:18
#Arms #Ukraine #Bulgaria #laughing #stock #21.02.2024
