Bulgaria to buy Stryker combat vehicles from US in $1.37 billion deal

Europe, News, US September 26, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The Bulgarian government has approved the purchase of the U.S.-made Stryker armored vehicles in a staggering $1.37 billion deal to modernize its military capabilities amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Without unveiling the total number of vehicles, Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev announced that his country plans to purchase Stryker combat vehicles from the United States. The move suggests Sofia’s declared plan to negotiate a lower price tag could be considered successful.

“When we make the first payments, the contract will go into force. From there, we are talking about deliveries starting in two years, and the contract being completed within three years,” Tagarev said during a Bulgarian military event earlier this week.

“This project is important not only so that we can merge three mechanized battalion battlegroups into one brigade, but also to have interoperable equipment allowing us to join all the alliance initiatives intended for our defense,” he added.

Bulgaria’s military modernization

Bulgaria lies on NATO’s eastern flank and has intensified its military modernization by replacing its outdated Soviet-built weapons systems with modern Western-made military technologies. The finalization of the deal from Sofia comes after the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 183 Stryker vehicles and related gear to Bulgaria for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.

DE-MSHORAD Laser weapon — *^{A 50 kilowatt-class laser mounted on a U.S. Army Stryker vehicle, shown during a live-fire exercise at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. (Image Credit: U.S. Army)}*

Although Bulgaria has been a member of the NATO alliance for more than 20 years, its military spending was not up to the mark of NATO’s recommended 2% of the GDP standard. Bulgarian military is largely equipped with outdated Soviet-era equipment as the country’s previous governments failed to execute a proper military modernization program. However, Bulgaria’s coalition government, which holds 132 seats in the country’s 240 seats parliament, has the required majority to approve military modernization policy in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Stryker combat vehicles

Developed and produced by the U.S.-based General Dynamics Land Systems, the Stryker armored vehicle is an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle that can be used as a high-mobility battle vehicle as well as an armored personnel carrier. The vehicle is about 22 feet long and 9 feet wide. It requires a crew of two operators and it can accommodate up to 9 personnel. The vehicle can reach speeds of 90 to 100 kilometers per hour.

US soldiers Stryker armored vehicle — ^{Soldiers with P Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment download Stryker armored vehicles and other military equipment from a railhead June 30, 2015 in Nowa Deba, Poland. (Image Credit: U.S. National Guard)}

Stryker has risen to fame recently due to its use in the Russia-Ukraine war. The U.S. has donated several of these vehicles to Ukraine for its fight against Russian forces in its ongoing counteroffensive. The vehicle has several different variants ranging from guided missile vehicles to infantry carriers and reconnaissance vehicles.

The U.S. Army has used Stryker vehicles to carry out operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Apart from several European countries, Stryker is also used by the militaries of Thailand, Chile, Argentina, and North Macedonia.