The Bulgarian Parliament has approved the purchase of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system, according to the Bulgarian news agency. The decision came after the Defense Committee proposed a draft law to fund the purchase, and it was fully supported by the parliament. The funding will be allocated to purchase one IRIS-T SLM battery, with the option to acquire five additional batteries by 2032. The total cost of the purchase is $199 million. The purchase is part of the European Union’s SkyShield air defense initiative, which aims to reduce costs and ensure cooperation among seventeen European countries in the procurement, training, maintenance, and logistics of air and missile defense systems.
The negotiations for the purchase of the IRIS-T SLM system began on August 22, 2024, when the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense reached an agreement with the German government and Diehl Defense. The German Armed Forces have already received the first battery of the IRIS-T SLM system, one year after the adoption of the relevant budget. The funding for the purchase will be partly covered by compensation received for Bulgaria’s donation of military equipment to Ukraine in 2024. The cost of this compensation is also expected to increase in 2025 as Bulgaria continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
ملخص الأخبار
- النظام الأوروبي SkyShield للدفاع الجوي يهدف لتخفيض التكاليف وضمان التعاون بين 17 دولة أوروبية.
- التكاليف التي تصل إلى 199 مليون دولار ستغطى جزءًا من تبرع بلغاريا لأوكرانيا.
- توقعات بزيادة التعويضات المالية لبلغاريا لتقديم المساعدة العسكرية لأوكرانيا.
