Money is not the only problems of the Bulgarian army

Bulgaria is expected to make defence spending at 1.61 per cent of GDP

Най-голям дял от БВП за отбрана сред съюзниците държи САЩ – 3.42 на сто, а най-малък Люксембург – 0.55 на сто Source: BGNES

After years of stale cooperation within NATO, Bulgaria is ramping up its defences and undergoing its full integration within the alliance.

Low military budgets and a full deck of Soviet-era material has until now kept the country in a state of strategic limbo.

Bulgaria has planned to use 1.61 per cent of its gross domestic product for defence. That's 927 million USD for 2019. The rise is 0.3 percent compared to 2014, when Sofia spent 638 million USD or 1.31 percent of GDP.

In NATO the US spends the largest share of GDP for defence - over 3.42%. Luxembourg is last with 0.55 per cent, as it has the highest GDP per capita in the EU - 66.000 euros.

Defence spending has risen steadily over the past 5 years and most countries now are close to reaching the target of 2% of GDP for defence, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.