The Secretary General noted that this year the Alliance will celebrate its 70th anniversary, as well as the 15th anniversary of Bulgaria’s accession to NATO.
“Bulgaria has contributed to strengthening the Alliance,” he said. Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed Bulgaria’s support for the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO.
“I welcome that just last week the Bulgarian parliament voted unanimously to ratify the accession of North Macedonia into NATO,” he added. Mr. Stoltenberg also thanked the government for its commitment to reach the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP on defence.
According to the alliance in a release, the Secretary General and Prime Minister Borissov discussed current security challenges, including Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
“Mr. Stoltenberg stressed that NATO does not want a new arms race and called on Russia to come back into compliance with the Treaty.”
While in Sofia, the Secretary General also held separate talks with President Rumen Radev, and other representatives of the Government.
“praises Bulgaria’s strategic role in the black sea”
not like they have choice, can’t just pack up and move now can they
🙂
They don’t half speak some tosh don’t they?
I just wonder at who is it directed all this PR?
A country that named itself after a Womble can’t be all bad……..
Lol!
Are there other NATO nations still operating Warsaw Pact equipment like those Mig 29’s?
Agree with Steve and J. Maybe the Turkish situation and Ukraine, given the Wombles close proximity?
Poland still operates the MIG-29, including former East German examples. Pretty sure the Slovak Air Force also operates the type. Romanians also operate the older MIG-21.
Still a few about then.
According to Wiki, There were @ 1600 produced and @ 900 of them are still Flying or listed in Various air Forces. First Operational in 1982, they were apparently built with a far Inferior Lifespan to “equivalent Western Aircraft”
As a Comparison, our “Much Superior Lifespan” Tornado had a total build of @1000 with @ 270 still Active, This Includes Germany, Italy, UK and Saudi Arabia.
Hmmmm, So I guess you can take the UK and Germany out of that total.
Anyone with me here ?
Can you see where this Is Leading with regards to Typhoon and F35 in the next couple of Decades ?
Yes, Yes, Yes, I’ve listened to all the arguments about F35 and Typhoon being able to do So much more than Previous Aircraft Including Phantoms, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Harriers, Lightnings, Hunters and such like but, This lack of Airframes really does bother me.
Things will only get worse If we carry on the way we are going.
Anyway, I’m off for a Curry, Might try to buy a few Dozen MIG 21’s too. In heard they are pretty Potent despite their Age.
Yup, and the most of it Is In the hands of the top 1%.
Or In the Cayman Islands.
Wish we could post Sad Faces here.
Spot on CPW. One cause of the collapse of the Roman empire was the wealthiest getting major tax breaks so the state was starved of funding for the army. Hence resorting to land grants to suppliment soldier pay in the late Roman empire. We’re at risk of reeating that now. The rich could’ve put their hand in their pockets & mitigated most of the hardships suffered by most of us through the financial crisis, but today they get every freedom to be rich with little of the responsability to use that wealth wisely for the good of society. Society is creeking around us while most people pay more taxes overall for less services than since Victorian times. Cameron & Osborne made sure the perversity of the system remained intact.
Indeed Frank62.
However, What did the Romans ever do for us ?
Another cause was the gradual “barbarism” of the Empire, as migration caused by the Huns caused the Goths and others to move west and south. The Romans allowed them to settle beyond the Rhine and Danube as they had little choice.
Eventually many joined the army and by Hadrian’s time most Legionaries were not even Italian.
And that’s just the Legions never mind the Auxillia!
” apparently built with a far Inferior Lifespan to “equivalent Western Aircraft”
I had not read that about Soviet aircraft myself.
I always had the impression they were built to last!
A handful may have been operational in 82 but I don’t think they started joining Frontal Aviation in any meaningful numbers until the late 80’s.
Malaysia bought MiG-29s about the same time they bought F/A-18Ds in the early 1990s. The MiGs have all been grounded but the F/A-18Ds are still flying. The big difference? Support from the aircraft manufacturer and their governments. US, and Boeing support for the Hornets have been on-going and less complicated than with Russia and MiG. Parts from Russia are difficult to obtain, and gets to be extraordinarily expensive.
Exactly Rokuth. Not such a Bargain now, are they.
Daniele, it’s all to do with Airframe Life, and Fatigue/Stress. However as mentioned, there are other factors involved.
Just to add, the “Far Inferior Lifespan” remark was meant to be Sarcastic as I’ve heard this said plenty over the years but yet these old aircraft are still flying. Mig21 for example.
Personally I think they are built from Recycled T34’s !!!
Of course, we have plenty of our old aircraft still flying too, just not in RAF Service. Jaguar and harrier still in IAF service for example.
Harrier?? Oh yes SEA Harrier. My brain was thinking ” Harrier, what are you on ? “
I think my point has not come over very clearly !!!! I’ll give up on it now.