BULGARIAN AIRFORCE

( 1993. )



In february of 1992. the Bulgarian television published very interesting previously top secret data about Bulgarian Airforce. In the last four decades the airforce lost more than 240 aircrafts and 31 of them were lost during the years of 1990. and 1991. It was also published that the loss of 7 MiG-21 type aircraft was due to technical insufficiency. According to the last years' official statistics 80 % of the accidents of the Bulgarian Airforce were due to pilot failure.


Currently operating types

  • fighters
    • 18/3 MiG-21 A/UB
    • 33/6/9 MiG-23 MF,BN/MLD/UB
    • 88/17 MiG-21 MF,bis/UM

  • bomber/reconnaissance aircrafs
    • 18/3 Su-22 M4/UM3
    • 35/4 Su-25 K/UB

  • training aircrafts
    • L-29
    • L-39

  • transport aircrafts
    • 3 An-24
    • 5 An-26
    • 1 An-30

  • helicopters
    • 14 Mi-2
    • 7 Mi-8
    • 6 Mi-14
    • 19 Mi-17
    • 44 Mi-24
    • 2 Ka-25


It is interesting that amongst the ex Warsaw Pact countries only Bulgaria put the MiG-25 type aircraft into service in his airforce. The 4 pieces of the reconnaissance modification was flown to Dobritch by Soviet pilots in 1981. Shortly after they lost one of their four planes because the pilot couldn't find the way to home in the thick fog and was forced to eject. The other three aircraft was kept away from service in the same year because of their huge fuel consumption. In 1982. Bulgaria made a contract with the Soviets to give the 3 left MiG-25 R aicrafts back to the Soviet Union and get 6 used MiG-23 MLDs for return. So the career of the MiG-25 in the Warsaw Pact was ended after a while.

Collected and put together by Tamas Gal; Transferred into HTML language by Kornel Straub

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