Bulgaria wants to purchase new radars

27 August, 2023 ELM-2106 radar from Elta. Images from open sources Five major defense companies are competing for a contract to produce radars for Bulgaria.

Euractiv reported on this. Lockheed Martin, Italian Leonardo, Israeli Elta, Spanish Indra, and French Thales are bidding on a tender. The contract value is estimated at approximately EUR200 million.

Lockheed Martin's TPS-77 radar.

Photos from open sources

Colonel Dimitar Georgiev, the Air Force Chief of Staff, commented that the country expects to receive the radars by 2025. He emphasized that this will only be possible if the contract is signed this year. It is reported that currently, the Bulgarian Air Force uses civilian radars to control the country's airspace.

The proposals of the companies were not disclosed, but it is known that Lockheed Martin produces the TPS-77 multi-mission ground-based radar, which can conduct surveillance over medium and long distances.

Leonardo's RAT 31DL radar. Photo from open sources

Indra produces the Lanza multi-threat adaptive radar, while Leonardo and Elta produce the RAT 31DL 3D surveillance radar and the ELM-2106 tactical 3D air defense radar. The French company Thales is the developer of the Ground Observer family of radars.

Militarnyi reported that Bulgaria was compelled to continue operating MiG-29 fighter jets due to a delay in the F-16 delivery.

To extend the MiG-29's engine life, six RD-33 jet engines are being shipped to Poland to Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze No.

2.

Besides, Bulgaria will start transferring hundreds of BTR-60 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in the fall.