Despite the measures taken, at the end of 2024, 21.8% of the positions in the Bulgarian army remained unfilled, a report on the state of defence and the armed forces of Bulgaria reads. The document was accepted for information purposes by the relevant parliamentary committee. The voluntary pool is also only 16% full, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.

Presenting the report, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov stated that the process of rearmament and modernization of the army continues, and that parliament had adopted a programme for investments in defence up until 2032. Minister Zapryanov also laid emphasis on the incoming new technology for the army, stating that the country is expected to receive, by the end of the year, eight F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft and the first Stryker armoured vehicles for the infantry.  

Bulgaria has not yet received an answer from the US regarding the purchase of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket SystemHIMARS, Minister Zapryanov said further. During the discussion, Bulgaria’s defence minister stated that the shells for the French CAESAR 155 mm. self-propelled howitzers, selected for purchase, will be manufactured in Bulgaria.