These are some jokes that have been around since Boyko Borisov and Rumen Radev clashed in politics.
This opinion was expressed to the Bulgarian National Radio by Gen. Spas Spasov, former military pilot, chairman of the "Bulgarian Air Force" foundation, in connection with the sharp remarks exchanged between the GERB leader and the head of state about the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet, which Bulgaria received on April 2.
"Unpleasant banter and so both sides can win the sympathy of their own electorate".
"I heard Borisov say that the commander of the Air Force should be fired. Is this something malicious, how should I put it? I don't see what the commander of the Air Force has to do with it, if the American plane has refused at the moment. I am a fan of this plane. I like its platform, its capabilities are great. Every plane gives refusals, this is normal. This is a complex technique.
Even if a light bulb burns out, the plane is stopped from flying until it is replaced. This has now hit people's ears and eyes with great force - both supporters and opponents of this technique. Yes, because we only have one F-16 aircraft at the moment.
It is normal to have such failures", he commented, emphasizing that he does not know what the problem is that caused the F-16 to deviate.
We do not know whether it is a manufacturing defect, or the fault lies with those who operate it at the Third Air Base, pointed out the general. Spas Spasov also emphasized that he did not rule out any of the possible reasons for the registered deviation, indicating that he had also encountered a theory of possible sabotage:
"I assume that there are enough factors to take care of in order to understand the origin of this deviation. It may be quite insignificant, but the plane must be in flight condition. The fact that it flew from the USA to Bulgaria does not mean that the failure could not have occurred afterwards, and maybe during the flight, but this is not something dangerous".
The damage should be covered by the F-16 fighter jet warranty, because everything is in the warranty service contracts, he explained:
"If the necessary part is not currently in stock, it can be delivered. There are parts in NATO warehouses and this will be removed".
According to Gen. Spasov, it would be normal to report if there is any deviation, without giving details, because it concerns information about our combat capability and readiness.