News

It has been recently revealed that during MSPO in Kielce (6 – 9 September 2010) the new, dynamic head on the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence held the decisive talks with the representatives of the main European corporations producing armaments about the delivery of the missile systems for both vessels. We have also been informed that in Kielce Angiełow had a series of meeting with the representatives of the European missile technologies house MBDA, and the representatives of the Norwegian corporation Kongsberg and trade representatives of SAAB group, among others.

All the talks held by the Bulgarian Minister concentrated on the issue of rapid provision of the antiaircraft and antiship missiles for the frigates, previously owned by Belgium, because the vessels Werdi and Gordi operate without being equipped with the most basic armament.

The time is ripe for it as Bulgaria announced that they will make one of Wielingen-type vessels they had acquired from Belgium available for one of the maritime teams of the fast response NATO forces – NFR (NATO Response Force). This is supposed to happen already in 2011. It is all about the credibility of Bulgarian fleet as the ally and also about the prestige of Sofia’s Ministry of Defence; it is hard to imagine a practically defenceless vessel participating in NFR combat mission.

Angiełow was very content with his visit to Poland and paid tribute to the organization and the span of MSPO 201. In Bulgaria he also said that the defence industry of his country should follow the example of Polish defence industry companies in the process of the international integration. Angeiłow expressed his admiration for the achievements BUMAR Group when visiting their exhibition pavilion.

It has also turned out that Anju Angiełow’s visit was the first official Bulgarian Minister of Defence visit of this kind after a number of years. The result of this visit is the invitation for Polish Minister of Defence to pay the visit in Bulgaria in the first part of 2011.