Bulgaria Seeks Parliamentary Approval for U.S. Military Aircraft Base
The request follows a controversy over earlier use of Sofia’s civilian airport, and officials say the planes would support U.S. operations in the Middle East.
- Bulgaria will seek parliamentary approval on Monday for up to eight U.S. tanker aircraft to be stationed at Bezmer military facility, Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced at an annual conference of Bulgarian Ambassadors in Sofia.
- A controversial attempt earlier this year to base the tankers at Sofia's civilian airport without parliamentary approval sparked backlash, forcing the planes to depart last month and prompting Radev to propose military airfields instead.
- The U.S. aircraft serve as critical refueling support for American military operations across the Middle East; Bezmer sits about 260 km southeast of Sofia, while Israel is also preparing to receive additional U.S. refueling aircraft.
- Heightened Middle East tensions, including resumed U.S.-Iran military strikes since an interim ceasefire collapsed a month ago, underscore the strategic importance of the deployment and raise the possibility of all-out war.
- Parliamentary authorization will formalize Bulgaria's commitment to NATO alliance military cooperation with the United States, distinguishing this deployment from the previous unauthorized civilian airport placement and solidifying the nation's role in regional operations.
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Bulgaria to Greenlight US Use of Air Base as Long-Term Hub
Prime Minister Rumen Radev says parliament will likely approve US military aircraft using Bezmer airfield in central Bulgaria for refuelling purposes - after previously criticising the presence of US planes at Sofia’s main airport.
The previous government had allowed the planes to be parked at a civilian airport, something that sparked controversy. Bezmer's military airport is shared between the two countries.
Bulgaria to ask parliament to allow US tanker aircraft to be stationed at military base
Bulgaria, a NATO and EU member, will seek parliamentary approval on Monday for up to eight U.S. tanker aircraft to be stationed at a military airport, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, after a move to place such planes at a civilian airport triggered controversy.
The government will submit to parliament a request from Washington to station aircraft at the Bezmer military facility to support US military operations in the Middle East, Radev said.
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