Bulgaria’s Cabinet to ask Parliament to approve new amendment to Sidewinder missile contract

Sofia: Bulgaria’s Cabinet is to ask Parliament to ratify a second amendment to the contract with the United States on the acquisition of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for the Bulgarian Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets, according to a statement on August 27 by the government information service.

In July 2019, Bulgaria’s Parliament ratified four contracts with the US related to the acquisition of eight F-16s, one contract being for the acquisition of 24 Sidewinder AIM 9X Block II missiles and related equipment.

In May 2022, Parliament approved an amendment to the contract, involving the acquisition of a further three Sidewinders. At the time, it was stated that this did not change the value of the initial contract.

The August 2025 government statement on the proposed second amendment to the contract also said that it would not change the value of the contract, and would enable the optimisation of the implementation of the concluded contract for the supply of aviation missiles for the F-16s by the US.