The Bulgarian parliament approved a $1.5 billion purchase of Stryker fighting vehicles from the United States to modernize the country's army and bring it in line with NATO standards, Report informs, citing the BTA news agency.
In September, the US State Department approved the possible sale of Stryker vehicles to Bulgaria.
One hundred thirty-four deputies in the 240-seat parliament voted for the deal to buy 183 Stryker vehicles, which had been approved by the government in September, the report said.
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles produced by General Dynamic Land Systems in Canada for the United States military. In various configurations, it can transport infantry and use different weapons, engineering, and electronic systems.
A total of seven countries operate Stryker-based vehicles including the US and Ukraine, which since March has received 189 of them.
Defence Minister Todor Tagarev told the National Assembly that the acquisition was a serious step towards the modernization of the Bulgarian army.