Bulgaria selects the Saab Gripen fighter

Bulgaria has decided to start talks with Sweden to acquire eight new Saab Gripen fighter jets to replace its former MiG-29 fighter jets, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said on Wednesday.

Three countries made offers: Sweden with Saab Gripen, Portugal with second-hand F-16 and Italy with Eurofighter Typhoon also second-hand.

The deal is expected to reach 1.5 billion levs ($ 832 million).

Last year the Bulgarian parliament approved a plan to acquire eight new or used fighters between 2018 and 2020 to improve the country’s compliance with NATO standards and replace its MiG-29s.