The combat capability, modernization and rearmament of the Bulgarian Armed Forces are a key task, acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said in Dolna Mitropoliya (Northern Bulgaria), where he attended a launch ceremony of a virtual reality system, allowing the study of real scale F-16 Block 70 aircraft.

The acceptance ceremony of two new CABRI helicopters was also organized at the Georgi Benkovski Bulgarian Air Force Academy.

"This is a trend that will continue, I am sure of it in future governments as well", Glavchev emphasized. "There is a war going on a few hundred kilometers away from here. We must be ready for war to live in peace," the acting prime minister added.

"Fortunately for us, Bulgaria is a member of NATO, which means that we can rely on the collective capabilities of the Alliance. On the one hand, this is reassuring. At the same time, we should not be too calm, but to rearm the Bulgarian army", emphasized Glavchev.

The virtual reality system was delivered to the Bulgarian Air Force Academy as part of the project to create a center for training flight and engineering personnel for the F-16 Block 70 aircraft by the Industrial Cooperation Program with the manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The new system enables interactive visualization of data on complex aviation systems at every stage of cadet training. The use of virtual reality will support trainees to better understand the features and behavior of different systems and increase the effectiveness of their training.

In 2023, a decree of the Council of Ministers allocated certain funds to the Bulgarian Air Force Academy for the acquisition of new skills. Following a public procurement, the school purchased two new CABRI G2 training helicopters manufactured by GUIMBAL - France. They have a very good safety record and fully meet the requirements of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The new acquisition will enable helicopter pilot cadets to begin their initial flight training at the Bulgarian Air Force Academy, learning skills and tactics that will be critical to the successful execution of their future missions, the Ministry said. of Defense. /BTA