Veliko Tarnovo, North-Central Bulgaria,  (BTA) – The first assembled Stryker combat vehicles for the Bulgarian Land Forces were presented at a ceremony at the TEREM military plant in Veliko Tarnovo on Tuesday. Eight vehicles have been assembled so far, five of which have already been handed over to the First Mechanized Brigade of the Land Forces in Karlovo.

The ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, Chief of Defence Adm. Emil Eftimov, representatives of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and TEREM management, Canadian Ambassador to Bulgaria Kevin Rex, representatives of the US State Department, the US Embassy and the US Armed Forces.

The contract for the delivery of 183 Stryker-family combat vehicles was initially signed for USD 1.37 billion. This summer, Parliament approved an increase of more than USD 44.7 million to the contract to account for rising costs and inflation.

According to him, there had been a delay of about one year, but deliveries and payments are currently proceeding according to schedule, with some of the vehicles expected to be delivered ahead of schedule.

Bulgaria does not currently manufacture ammunition for the Stryker vehicles, which is supplied by the United States. The Minister expressed hope for a transfer of technology that would enable Bulgaria to start its own production and urged the defence industry, particularly the private sector, to adapt more quickly to the new standards.

The Minister said that another EUR 1.4 billion would be needed to equip the Second Mechanized Brigade with the same type of combat vehicles as those being supplied to the 61st Stryama Mechanized Brigade. The funds would be needed over a period of five to six years, and around 200 vehicles would be required. The implementation of the project would depend on the country’s financial capabilities. The Minister specified that the contract for equipping the 61st Stryama Mechanized Brigade covers a total of 198 vehicles, of which 183 belong to the Stryker family, while the remainder are logistics vehicles.

The Minister stressed that modernization takes time and preparation, including for conducting live-fire exercises. Bulgaria has already begun training with older Stryker vehicles, and the process is expected to be accelerated.

A hub for servicing Stryker vehicles

During a visit to the TEREM plant last summer, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the facility had the necessary infrastructure and expertise to establish itself as a regional service centre for the Stryker platform. This would provide long-term maintenance capabilities once all 183 vehicles covered by the contract had been delivered and ensure their reliable operation in the future, he added.

He reiterated that on Tuesday. “We are working hard to make Bulgaria a hub for servicing Stryker vehicles,” he said adding that the Republic of North Macedonia also has vehicles from the Stryker family, as does Ukraine. “We have the capacity and the capabilities to acquire not only first- and second-level, but also third-level maintenance capabilities for Stryker vehicles. I hope we can achieve this as quickly as possible, but, of course, my priority is the assembly of our own vehicles,” the Minister said.

The Minister also commented on the restructuring of TEREM-Ivaylo, saying that the two companies, together with the one in Targovishte, would be merged into a single enterprise. He does not expect this to impact negatively their operations; on the contrary, they are expected to expand their activities.

Asked by journalists about the need for anti-drone systems, he said that countering unmanned aerial vehicles was a priority. He stressed that no system could guarantee 100% effectiveness against drones. He expressed a preference for kinetic-effect systems, noting that in urban environments, electronic warfare solutions and measures operating in the electromagnetic spectrum were necessary.

A milestone in Armed Forces’ modernization

Outgoing Chief of Defence Adm. Emil Eftimov told journalists in Veliko Tarnovo that the event marked an important milestone in the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and the development of the country’s strategic partnership with the United States and Canada.

“The acceptance of the new Stryker vehicles is an event whose significance goes beyond the delivery of modern military equipment. It is a concrete expression of a conscious and defining choice by Bulgaria to build modern, combat-ready and interoperable armed forces, prepared to serve the national interest and fulfil its allied commitments,” he said.

Eftimov stressed that the vehicles would provide new capabilities to the Bulgarian Land Forces. “In the face of serious challenges to European security, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, building combat-ready land formations is a critical necessity,” he said. He specified that the new vehicles would provide military formations with radically improved mobility, modern protection and significantly greater firepower.

The United States is a key ally of Bulgaria, and this cooperation makes a substantial contribution to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and security in the Black Sea region, he said. The acquisition of Strykers and F-16 fighter jets demonstrated that this partnership was backed by concrete, long-term investments. He added that the coastal missile system was also expected.

Eftimov said further development of industrial and technological cooperation between the two countries was expected, adding that the activities at the TEREM plant demonstrated the potential of Bulgaria’s defence industry.