The US is investing 6.9 billion dollars in the production of bombs for Ukraine, Japan and Bulgaria. Pentagon website released announced an order to be fulfilled by Boeing at the company’s plant in St. Louis, Missouri.
According to the scant information, it is about an unspecified quantity of missiles and bombs to be produced by the end of 2035. It is clearly stated that this contract includes Military Sales Foreign (FMS) to Japan, Bulgaria and Ukraine, without specifying any quantity. , or the price. Apparently, some of the weapons are for the US itself.
It can be assumed that the weapon is for aircraft since the contract is in the air force department. It seems especially for Bulgaria, that the missiles and bombs for the new F-16s.
Bulgaria is currently buying from the US under separate contracts not only fighter jets, but also Stryker armored vehicles, as well as Javelin missiles (Javelin FGM-148F).
“NOW” recalls:
The 16 Bulgarian F-16 fighters are manufactured in a purpose-built factory in Greenville, South Carolina. At the same place, Lockheed Martin is fulfilling orders for 128 F-16 Block 70/72 units to five countries. Bahrain became the launch customer with 16 machines, followed by Slovakia with an order for 14, Bulgaria was third with 8 machines, then Taiwan ordered 66 and Morocco 24.
In 2019, the Bulgarian government at the time – the third “Borisov” cabinet – paid 1.3 billion dollars or about 2.2 billion BGN under a contract between the US and Bulgaria for production and construction of eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft (six single and two two-seat aircraft). The package includes pilot and ground crew training, logistics, support equipment and military equipment.
In April 2020, a contract was announced between Lockheed Martin (“Lockheed Martin”) and the United States Air Force h.and awarding the contract to manufacture the F-16 Block 70 aircraft Pentagon.
According to the intergovernmental agreement, the first two aircraft were to be delivered in the middle of 2023, and the last two in the first quarter of 2024. Already in 2021, publications first appeared about several months delay in delivery to Bahrain. At the time, it was announced that the problem was related to the delivery of a structural element made by a subcontractor outside the US, citing the pandemic as the reason.
In 2022, it became clear that there is also a delay in the production and delivery of Bulgarian F-16s and that the first machines will be received in 2025
In November 2022, the National Assembly gave the green light to the caretaker government at the time to conclude the contract, with which Bulgaria will receive 8 more American fighter jets F-16C / D Block 70 The value is the transaction 1,296,412,185 US dollars. This includes building a tactical radio system. Unlike the first 8 planes, where everything was paid at once and to a large extent, this amount will be paidin installments over a period of 10 year. The first installment was only 16 million dollars. The Bulgarian state will have to pay the most in 2026, when the contribution is 761 million dollars.
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2024-10-03 00:24:16
#investing #billion #arms #Bulgaria #Ukraine #Japan
