[quote][b][url=/v3/forum/europe-14/topic/balgarsky-voennovazdushni-sily-bulgarie-326/?post=43186#post-43186]ciders[/url] a dit le 24/02/2009 à 22:06 :[/b]

[quote]Old US Fighters F-16 Foisted On Bulgaria Again 

Shuffles for military aviation renovation brought to a halt Bulgaria’s government rearmament intentions. Working group with the Ministry of Defence philosophizes for 3 months now over two US offers 

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11:27 24.02.2009 

Two messages on the media from February 10 regarding Bulgaria’s Air Forces passed unnoticed by the public and even a single attempt for connecting them was not made. Yet behind the façade hides a try for luring the public into the idea of buying old US F-16 fighters. 
The first statement was of Minister of Defence Nikolay Tzonev before the Bulgarian National Television (BNT). Asked if multifunctional fighters remain still just an idea and a mirage, he answered: “At this stage we have frozen new future projects for Bulgaria’s army modernization, yet this does not mean we are stopping work on this issue”. 
The second statement was of US Deputy Chief of Mission Alexander Karayiannis, in the town Veliko Tarnovo. “Bulgarian Air Forces are those needing the greatest attention and USA has ready to use plans for transformation in this field”, he said. 

But both Minister Tzonev and diplomat Karayanis missed saying that intensive work on the matter has already started. As early as three months ago the defence minister has appointed a working group to lead the negotiations. 

At the very end of 2008 the Ministry of Defence has received a response to Bulgaria’s letter of inquiry. Two options are offered our country in it. The first is to buy 8 second hand 

almost museum ancient F-16 ?/, 
two of which will be drill machines. The price posted is BGN 650 million. As the machines are of old modifications they would cost us relatively cheap – only BGN 15 million per piece. These are though pretty amortized, as they have already used 5500 hours of their 8000 exploitation resource. Thus, apart from the BGN 120 million for acquisition costs, another BGN 530 million will be needed for repairs and resource extension, logistics (over BGN 220 million for land equipment and spare parts), and for flying and technical staff training (BGN 150 million). As the machines are properties of the Pentagon, and will be purchased from the US central government under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, Bulgaria will also pay BGN 25 million sales tax. Armament for the aircrafts is not provided, so we will have to buy it additionally. One air-air AMRAAM head, for example, costs exactly $1 million. Including all the initial expenses, one only F-16 will come to just over BGN 80 million. 

But the letter firmly states delivery can be completed not earlier than 4 years. The rafts then may be used for another 10-12 years. The annual maintenance will cost Bulgaria some BGN 10 million, in return for which they will fly at least 200 hours a year. 

Experts from the Air Forces draw attention to the fact that 6 combat F-16s do not represent any tactic unit to which tasks might be assigned. If three of the machines deliver everyday fighting duties on air-policing (two central and one reserve), this means three machines only will remain for regular planned flights. Bulgaria needs at least 12-16 fighters, but this would up the price by 50% to 100%. 
In this US offer mandatory under Bulgarian law offset has found no place. Yet not this fact, but the a priory exclusion of any commission charges could lead to rejection of the proposal. 
US’s second offer is for 

8 new F-16s block 50. 

At first glance this offer looks more interesting. Acquiring the fighters in three years alone totals to BGN 730 million, or just over BGN 90 million per machine. Similarly to the first offer, Bulgaria will again have to pay BGN 150 million for training and BGN 220 million for logistics. After accounting all the expenses the total package price amounts to BGN 1.3 billion, or BGN 162 million per machine. But if Bulgaria purchases 8 new F-16, sooner or later it will have to open the purse for another BGN 650 million for at least four more crafts. With this option offset is mandatory and producer of the fighters Lockheed Martin will be enabled through this offset namely to pay brokerage to lobbyists and corrupt Bulgarian politicians. That’s why this option, notwithstanding the dizzy price it commands, looks far more realistic. 

The US Embassy in Bulgaria demonstrates extraordinary intense activeness in favour of the F-16s. They seem to consider the issue predetermined. Pilots from the Graf Ignatievo air forces base said US defence attaché to Bulgaria Colonel David Wilmot has asked them why they do not insist before the Air Forces command the F-16s purchase procedure gets accelerated. To put it in simple words, Colonel Wilmot was fomenting unrest and discontent. If Russia’s defence attaché Colonel Andrei Kindyakov would allow himself to appear in Graf Ignatievo to provoke reactions among the pilots in favour of MiG-29s, he might be pronounced persona non grata. 

Talking about potentially new fighters from the US it’s worth reminding one significant fact: 5 years ago then head of the General Staff General Nikola Kolev conducted a marketing research of his own. It showed Bulgaria could buy new F-16s for $50 million and better quality F-18s Super Hornet for $53 million a machine. But a pressure from the State Department followed and Boeing reclined its wish to sell Super Hornets to Bulgaria. America’s central administration has never given any reasons for thinking it might be trying to squeeze through its companies’ ersatz goods. On the contrary – it has always in words and actions demonstrated diligence in strengthening Bulgaria’s army and thus reconfirming its influence in our country. This striving to force F-16 at any price at the expense of F-18, though, remains truly bizarre and inexplicable. 

Alternative variants also exist 
According to them Bulgaria can acquire new Eurofighters at the price of BGN 150 million and French Rafale fighters for BGN 160 million per piece. But the Ministry of Defence does not like talking about them. It’s especially worried by the latest offer of Sweden’s SAAB. It offers us 16 new JAS 39 Gripen fighters for BGN 1.6 billion or BGN 100 million a machine. An instalment payment plan for 15 years is envisaged, covering also a full pack for logistic support and training. The delivery term is 2 years. The company guarantees by 40% lower expenses then all other competitors in this class. 

If Bulgaria opts for the variant for second hand machines (produced after 2000) the price goes 30% to 50% lower. In this case the delivery term shrinks to less than 6 months. This period is contingent on the necessity of Bulgaria’s flying and technical support staff training. An intermediate option is also on offer – for Bulgaria to start with old Gripens (that could also be purchased under an installment plan) and then to continue with new crafts. 

One of the alternative options is also the most banal one: to go on exploiting Russian MiG-29. The next month repair works will be completed to 16 machines from Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG, but yet in the summer six of the machines will buckle up for engines. Money for those is not planned in the state budget. 

The problems of Bulgaria’s fighter aviation are not problems of the Ministry of Defence and of Minister Tzonev. Given the huge financial resource they command, those are in the competence of the central government, which obviously has no vision what should be done. And if somebody somewhere thinks seriously over the issue, it is on what and how they can steal. [/quote]

[url=http://www.bulgaria-news.bg/en/news/read/319]Source locale, merci Acig[/url][/quote]