NATO transport planes flew over Bulgarian territory Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, announced Air Staff Chief Lieutenant General Stefan Popov last Thursday. The planes were being moved to bases closer to Afghanistan.

Fourteen planes flew over Bulgaria last Wednesday. Their flight was monitored by the Air Traffic Services Authority, in accordance with ICAO rules, and by the Air Force, Popov explained.

For the moment, there are no further requests by the U.S. or NATO in connection with the strikes against Afghanistan, Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov said on Friday, noting, however, that Bulgaria is prepared to react adequately if such requests are made.

Svinarov added that NATO aircraft are flying over Bulgarian territory according to a preset schedule and are using their designated air corridors. "In case they need to, the planes can also use any of the Bulgarian airports," he said.

Since the launch of the Enduring Freedom operation, no foreign military planes carrying troops or combat equipment have flown over the country and that is why their passage did not have to be approved by Parliament, the press office of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a press release. Transporting armed forces over the country would violate Article 84 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.

In accordance with established international practice and in pursuance of international agreements signed by Bulgaria, routine flyovers by military planes and flights related to KFOR and the Cooperative Key exercise have been and are being carried out as was the case before September 11, the Ministry announced.

Such flights are sanctioned by the Foreign Ministry in accordance with domestic legislation and have no bearing on the Enduring Freedom operation, the press release said.

Besides provoking comments on the possible effect this action might have of making Bulgaria a closer NATO ally, the planes flying over Bulgaria have sparked a debate on the future of the Bulgarian air force.

"Bulgaria's air defence system is operating in a peacetime mode," Popov said. This means that besides fighters, there are radar stations, communications and missile systems that are on round-the-clock duty.

"It is not absolutely necessary to sell the 20 MiG-29 aircraft of the Bulgarian army after their repair and upgrading," Popov said. According to Plan 2004 for reforms in the army, the Air Force will have two fighter squadrons and new aircraft will replace its fleet.

The MiG-21 aircrafts, which are very old, will be removed from the inventory. It is being discussed whether to replace them with the U.S. F-16 and F-18 or the Swedish Gripen. The MiG-23s will also be removed. Their viability expires this December and it will be too expensive to refurbish them. Almost all former socialist countries have removed the MiG-23 aircraft from their inventory.

Popov denied allegations that the number of combat aircraft in the Bulgarian army would be reduced to 40. Under Plan 2004, the army will have 72 combat planes, and there is plenty of evidence that this is the optimal number, he said. From the 402 planes the Air Force had 10 or 12 years ago, only 50 are now in working order.