Ranking of military power: Bulgaria is in 67th place
Bulgaria ranks 67th in terms of military power in the world among 142 countries. Global Firepower’s annual report ranked the armed forces below Angola and above those of Ecuador.
Bulgaria’s army is rated as weaker than all of its neighbors, excluding the Republic of North Macedonia (RCM).
About 30,000 military personnel are active, and if necessary, over 2,600,000 Bulgarians can be mobilized. We are reported to have 410 tanks in service, 594 armored vehicles and 192 rocket launchers.
We have 11 MiG-29 fighters, 7 transport planes and 22 helicopters, of which 2 are combat ones, the report added. The Navy has 29 vessels, of which 4 frigates, 2 corvettes and 12 minesweepers.
In the top 3 of the strongest armies in the world are the USA, Russia and China.
Missile artillery, attack helicopters, tanks and access to the sea help our country perform better in the ranking. But the lack of submarines and few fighters worsen the result.
Military experts recommend a new F-16 squadron, an infantry brigade with new combat vehicles, new air defense systems. Some of the projects for a more combat-ready army are for new combat aircraft, acquisition of 3-D radars, and modernization of the Ground Forces.
Analysts say that the road to a more modern army also goes through a strong and technological military industry.
According to the Global FirePower report, Bulgaria spends 1.1 billion dollars on defense. The political leadership of the Ministry of War wants to achieve at least 2% of GDP as early as 2023.