/ world today news/ I am categorically against the decision to choose a fighter for the Bulgarian Air Force to be based only on technical criteria. This is what Rosen Plevneliev, the president of Bulgaria from 2012 to 2017, said in the program “This Saturday” on bTV, quoted by epicenter.bg.
According to him, the choice of machine should also be based on the geopolitical situation in the world. “We need to buy machines with which the army can not only fly, but must be able to protect the Bulgarian national interest”, emphasized Plevneliev.
A few days before handing over power, the cabinet approved the decision to select a new fighter, in which the Swedish concern “Saab” with the “Gripen” aircraft was ranked first.
A difficult and responsible decision of the newly elected government is ahead, commented Plevneliev.
According to him, the purchase of a fighter has a strong geopolitical signal.
“If something happens on NATO’s eastern flank, from Poland to Romania, everyone else must be able to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the democratic Alliance together. However, each of them has an F-16, not a Gripen, noted Plevneliev.
“If something happens in the southern part of NATO’s flank, where Turkey and Greece and all the rest are located besides Italy – in the same way, only together with our neighbors and partners in NATO can we protect the Bulgarian national interest”, he added.
The Bulgarian people love their army, they relied on it in difficult times, and it was always on their side, Plevneliev said at the army holiday.
He emphasized that the state leadership must give way to the long-awaited and now urgent modernization of the army. According to him, politicians should clearly say that the army is a priority.
Plevneliev wished success to the third government of Boyko Borisov.
#Roscoe #crawled #called #choose #F16 #combat #aviation
