French defence company Thales likely won the bid to supply Bulgaria’s army with new 3D surveillance radars for €142 million – a 25% decrease from the €200 million price Thales initially wanted Sofia to pay for them.
“I hope that the negotiations will proceed on time, after which we will submit to the parliament a project for investment expenditure, which should be approved. The procedure should take place this year. In the course of the procedure, a 25% lower price was achieved,” he pointed out.
The Defence Ministry decided in the final hours before the government resigned on 5 March as part of a planned rotation agreed to in a power-sharing deal.
It was expected that the project would not fit into the budget due to the increase in prices and orders following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
Initially, it was thought that Lockheed Martin, the American companyBulgaria bought F-16 fighter jets from, would secure the contract.
The Defence Ministry wants to buy seven new three-coordinate radars and wants the package to also include training and maintenance for five years.
As a matter of procedure, negotiations must now occur with the first-ranked company. A capital expenditure RFP will then be prepared, which must be approved by parliament.
If Tagarev does not remain a minister after the rotation, as is the desire of centre-right GERB leader Boyko Borissov, whose party is in line to form a government, the next defence minister may reconsider the project, and MPs may not support the choice since by law the expensive military deals have to go through parliament.
However, this would significantly delay the project.
Bids from Lockheed Martin (US), Leonardo (Italy), Elta (Israel), Indra (Spain) and Thales (France) were made public in August last year, but the opening of the price proposal has been delayed, although Defence Minister Todor Tagarev expects a contract to be signed as early as 2024.
According to the Defence Ministry’s expectations, the radars will be delivered 30-36 months after the contract is signed.
(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)
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