| Bulgarian Navy | |
|---|---|
| Военноморски сили на Република България Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya | |
 Ensign of the Bulgarian Navy | |
| Founded | 13 January 1899 (126 years, 10 months) |
| Country |  Bulgaria |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Defense of the Bulgarian sea territory and eliminating enemy units |
| Size | 4,450 active personnel[1] |
| Part of | Bulgarian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Varna Atia |
| Patron | Saint Nicholas |
| Anniversaries | 9 August |
| Engagements | First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I World War II 2011 military intervention in Libya[2][3][4] |
| Website | navy |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Navy |  Rear Admiral Kyril Yordanov Mikhailov |
| Insignia | |
| Naval ensign | |
| Naval jack |  |
| Coast guard ensign |  |
TheBulgarian Navy (Bulgarian:Военноморски сили на Република България,romanized: Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya,lit. 'Naval Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria') is thenavy of theRepublic of Bulgaria and forms part of theBulgarian Armed Forces.
ThePrincipality of Bulgaria established its navy soon after its creation, in 1879, to operate on theDanube river and theBlack Sea, but the young country could spend only limited resources on warships. In the conflicts of the 20th century in which Bulgaria was involved - theBalkan Wars,World War I andWorld War II, the navy played a limited role, mainly protecting Bulgarian harbors and shipping. The navy's greatest combat feat was a torpedo attack against an Ottoman cruiser during the First Balkan War that forced the ship to retreat.
In the aftermath of World War II, thePeople's Republic of Bulgaria was a part of theEastern Bloc and the navy was reorganized and supplied withSoviet-made equipment. It participated in variousWarsaw Pact naval exercises, but took no part in any military operations. The navy reached its peak, in both materiel and personnel, in the late 1980s, but even then its most powerful ships werefrigates anddestroyers.
After the fall of the Soviet Union and Bulgaria's communist regime, all Bulgarian armed forces fell in decline due to their reduced relevance, and the economic crisis of the 1990s limited the resources that could be set aside for their modernization. The Navy was no exception. After a period of negotiations and reforms in order to comply withNATO standards, Bulgaria was admitted in the alliance in 2004. Since then, the Navy has acquired and operates a small number of relatively modern vessels.
Since the 1940s, the Bulgarian Navy has two main bases, each near one of the two major commercial port cities in the country -Varna andBurgas (by the village ofAtia).
The Bulgarian Navy's first combat action was the1912 Battle of Kaliakra during theFirst Balkan War, when four Bulgariantorpedo boats attacked the OttomancruiserHamidiye;Bulgarian torpedo boat Drazki managed to score a hit, forcingHamidiye to retreat back to Istanbul for emergency repairs.
The Bulgarian Navyscuttled its four Danubegunboats during theSecond Balkan War, probably to avoid capture by the invadingRomanian Army.[5] The four gunboats were 400-600-ton vessels, with a top speed of 11knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) and armed with two-to-four 75 mm (3 in) guns and two-to-four 47 mm (1.9 in) guns. They were still present on the Bulgarian Navy list in August 1916.[6]
When Bulgaria enteredWorld War I in 1915, its navy consisted mainly of a French-built torpedo gunboat calledNadezhda and six torpedo boats. It mainly engaged inmine warfare actions in theBlack Sea against the RussianBlack Sea Fleet and allowed the Germans to station twoU-boats atVarna, one of which came under Bulgarian control in 1916 asPodvodnik No. 18. Russian mines sank one Bulgarian torpedo boat and damaged one more during the war.[7]
The Bulgarian Navy duringWorld War II supported theAxis powers in the Black Sea and consisted mainly of four obsoleteDrazki-class torpedo boats, five modernLurrsen type motor torpedo boats and three formerly Dutch motor torpedo boats. Bulgaria and the Soviet Union were not at war with each other, but there was still little naval fighting with Soviet submarines operating in Bulgarian waters, its main action taking place in October 1941.[8]
The so-calledOperation Varna consisted in theminelaying of the Bulgarian coast by the Romanian minelayersAmiral Murgescu,Regele Carol I andDacia, escorted by Romanian250t-class torpedo boatNăluca,Sborul andSmeul, Romanian gunboatsSublocotenent Ghiculescu andCăpitan Dumitrescu and Bulgarian torpedo boatsDrazki,Smeli andHrabri.[9] The operation, lasting between 7 and 16 October 1941, was largely successful, as despite the loss of the Romanian auxiliary minelayerRegele Carol I to a Soviet mine,[10] the five minefields laid by the Romanian minelayers along the Bulgarian coast are credited with the sinking of four Soviet submarines:S-34,L-24,Shch-211 andShch-210, although the latter could have also been sunk by German aircraft ordepth-charged by the Bulgarian patrol boatsBelomorets andChernomorets.[11]
On 6 December 1941,Belomorets andChernomoretsdepth-charged and sank the Soviet submarineShch-204.[12]
Soviet submarines also laid mines near the Bulgarian coast. The 2304-ton Bulgarian steamerShipka ("Шипка", also transliteratedChipka) was sunk offVarna in September 1941 by mines laid by the submarineL-4.[13]
On 19 May 1943, the Bulgarian torpedo boatSmeli foundered between Varna and Burgas during a storm.
Any hostilities ended when Bulgariachanged sides and joined the Allied powers in September 1944.
In line with Soviet naming practices the navy of theBulgarian People's Army was called the Military-Maritime Fleet (Bulgarian:Военноморски флот, ВМФ). The merchant marine, which was to mobilize in wartime in support of the regular navy was called Bulgarian Sea Fleet (Български морски флот, БМФ).
In the 1970s the Burgas Naval Base relocated toAtia with a corresponding change in name.
The Naval Fleet Staff was located inVarna.[14]
TheBulgarian Communist Party was forced to give up its political monopoly on 10 November 1989 under the influence of theRevolutions of 1989. With the restoration of freedom from theWarsaw Pact entanglement, it became a member ofNATO in 2004,[15] and after several years of reforms, it joined theEuropean Union and thesingle market in 2007, despite EU concerns over government corruption.[16]
In order to meet some of the NATO requirements, the Bulgarian government purchased aWielingen-classfrigate from Belgium in 2005.Wandelaar (F-912), built in 1977, was renamed toDrazki. That same year the Bulgarian frigateSmeli took part as a full NATO member for the first time inOperation Active Endeavour. In 2006, following a decision of theBulgarian National Assembly,Drazki deployed as part of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), patrolling the territorial waters of Lebanon under German command. This was the first time the Bulgarian Navy took part in an international peacekeeping operation. The Bulgarian government purchased two moreWielingen-class frigates and oneTripartite-classminehunter in 2007.
On 21 July 2020 took place the official inauguration of the Maritime Coordination Center in Varna. This was an important step towards greater NATO and regional cooperation in the Black Sea region.[17]
In 1989, the people's navy's inventory consisted of:
A "Division" is the equivalent of land forces battalion or air force squadron as the Bulgarian Navy follows the Russian naval tradition, according to which an "Operational Squadron" or "Оперативная эскадра" is a temporary formation, an equivalent of a land forces division and in modern times a "Squadron" of the Russian Navy is an equivalent of a land forces corps.
According to the reform plans envisioned in the White Paper on Defence 2010, the two naval bases would be merged into one with two base facilities in Varna and Burgas. The manpower of the Navy would account to about 3,400 seamen. The orderedEurocopter AS565 MB Panther helicopters were reduced from six to three units. Between 2011 and 2020 the naval "Longterm Investment Plan" should come into action, providing the sea arm of the Bulgarian military with modernised ships and new equipment.
The list does not include vessels assigned to the border police. The Bulgarian Navy has inherited the Soviet tradition of "board numbers" (Bulgarian:бордови номер,romanized: bordovi nomer), which means that unlikepennant numbers andhull classification symbols, they do not identify uniquely a vessel during its lifetime – for example, a ship can change numbers when it's transferred to another unit, and new ships reuse the numbers of old ones in the same unit.
In November 2020, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense signed a contract withLürssen Germany to build two multi mission patrol vessels for the Bulgarian Navy. The ships are to be built by the Bulgarian MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna and delivered in 2025 and 2026 with the 984M lev (approximately €503M) price also including training. Based onDarussalam-class offshore patrol vessel the ships will be armed with anOTO Melara 76 mm,RBS 15,MICA VL,Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium,Multi Ammunition Softkill System andLeonardo A.244/S torpedoes.[23][24][25][26]
The first ship,Hrabri, was launched on August 4, 2023.[27] The second ship,Smeli, was launched on December 12, 2024.[28]
| Class | Picture | In Service | Type | Ship | Displacement | Origin | Homeport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigates (6) | ||||||||
| Wielingen | _in_the_Black_Sea_in_July_2015.JPG) | 3 | Multi-role frigate | Drazki (41) (Дръзки - Daring) | 2,283 tonnes |  Belgium | Atia 4th Patrol Ships Division | [29] |
| Verni (42) (Верни - Loyal) | ||||||||
| Gordi (43) (Горди - Proud) | ||||||||
| Koni |  | 1 | Anti-submarine frigate (ASW) | Smeli (11) (Смели - Courageous) | 1,900 tonnes |  Soviet Union | Varna 1st Patrol Ships Division | [30][31] |
| MMPV 90 |  | (2) | Multi-role frigate | Hrabri(12)(Храбри - Brave) | 2,300 tonnes |  Germany Bulgaria | Varna 1st Patrol Ships Division | Commissioning of Hrabri started on November 10, 2025[32] |
| Smeli(11)(Смели-Courageous) | ||||||||
| Corvettes/Patrol vessels (3) | ||||||||
| Tarantul |  | 1 | Fast patrol craft/Missile corvette | Malniya (101) (Мълния - Lightning) | 549 tonnes | Soviet Union | Atia 4th Patrol Ships Division | [33][31] |
| Pauk |  | 2 | Patrol craft torpedo/ASW corvette | Reshitelni (13) (Решителни - Decisive) | 589 tonnes | Soviet Union | Varna 1st Patrol Ships Division | [34][31] |
| Bodri (14) (Бодри - Brisk) | ||||||||
| Mine Countermeasures Ships (17) | ||||||||
| Tripartite |  | 3 | Minehunter Offshore | Tsibar (32) (Цибър) | 605 tonnes | Belgium | Varna 3rd Mine Counter-Measure Division | ex-BelgianMyosotis[35] |
| Mesta (31) |  Netherlands | ex-DutchMaassluis | ||||||
| Struma (33) | ex-DutchHellevoetsluis | |||||||
| (4) | ex-Bellis | Belgium | TBD | 4 to be donated by Belgium[36] | ||||
| ex-Crocus | ||||||||
| ex-Lobelia | ||||||||
| ex-Primula | ||||||||
| (3) | ex-Schiedam | Netherlands | TBD | 3 be donated by the Netherlands in 2027-2028[37] | ||||
| ex-Zierikzee | ||||||||
| ex-Willemstad | ||||||||
| Olya |  | 4 | MinesweeperInshore | Kapitan-Leytenant Kiril Minkov (53) | 61 tonnes | Soviet Union | Varna 3rd Mine Counter-Measure Division | [38][31][39] |
| Balik (54) | ||||||||
| Kapitan Leytenant Evstati Vinarov (55) | ||||||||
| Kapitan Parvi Rang Dimitar Paskalev (56) | ||||||||
| Sonya |  | 3 | Minehunter Offshore | Briz (61) (Бриз - Sea breeze) | 450 tonnes | Soviet Union | Atia 6th Mine Counter-Measure Division | [40] |
| Shkval (62) (Шквал - Squall) | ||||||||
| Priboi (63) (Прибой - Breaking wave) | ||||||||
| Landing craft (2) | ||||||||
| Vydra | — | 2 | LCM | Project 106K-1 Project 106K-2 | — | Soviet Union | — | [41][42] |
| Support Ships (16) | ||||||||
| Project 160 multi-purpose cutter | — | 5 | Cutter | Hull number 121 | — | Bulgaria | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [43] |
| Hull number 215 | ||||||||
| Hull number 216 | ||||||||
| Hull number 312 | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | |||||||
| Hull number 313 | ||||||||
| Project 245 cutter | — | 2 | Cutter | Hull number 223 | — | Bulgaria | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [44] |
| Hull number 323 | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | |||||||
| Project 612 survey cutter | — | 2 | Cutter | Hull number 231 | — | Bulgaria | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [45] |
| Hull number 331 | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | |||||||
| Project 250 fireboat | — | 1 | Fireboat | Aheloy (321) (Ахелой) | — | Bulgaria | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | [46] |
| Project 650 tanker | — | 2 | Tanker | Balchik (203) (Балчик) | — | Bulgaria | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [47] |
| Akin (303) (Акин) | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | |||||||
| — | — | 1 | Tugboat | Hull number 211 | — | Bulgaria | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [48] |
| — | — | 1 | Tugboat | Hull number 410 | — | Bulgaria | Atia 96th Support Ships Division | [48] |
| Type 1799 degaussing ship |  | 1 | Degaussing ship | Kapitan I rang Dimitar Dobrev (206) (afterDimitar Dobrev) | — |  Poland | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | [49] |
| — | _c1962.jpg) | 1 | Proteo (224) (Протео) | Rescue vessel | — |  Italy | Varna 18th Support Ships Division | ex-Italian А 5310Proteo[50][51] |
| Training Ships (1) | ||||||||
| — | — | 1 | Training ship | Hull number 421 | — | Bulgaria | Varna Naval academy "N.Y. Vaptsarov" | [52] |
| Remotely Operated Vehicles | ||||||||
| Double Eagle Mark III |  | — | Unmanned underwater vehicle | — | — |  Sweden | — | Used in the disposal of naval mines.[31] |
| Name | Image | In Service | Origin | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurocopter AS565 Panther |  | 2[53] |  France | Maritime patrol/ | |
| Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin |  | 1[53] | France | Multirole helicopter | Delivered in late 2019 |
On 9 June 2017 during a training mission of artillery fire against surface targets as a part of the"Black Sea-2017" exercise of the Bulgarian Navy, a Panther helicopter crashed in the water, killing the commander and injuring the other two officers on board. The helicopter's main rotor made contact with the fore flagpole of the frigate BGS-41Drazki, after which it crashed into the sea. The crew commander suffered heavy injuries upon the crash, causing his death. The other two crew members suffered minor injuries, mainly by inhaling gases caused after the crash.[54]) The helicopter has been written off and the remaining two units have been grounded for a month on 10 June. After the helicopter struck the flagpole it became increasingly unstable and the commander, Capt. Georgi Anastasov, decided to turn back to the frigate and attempt an emergency landing in the water nearby, maximizing the chances for a rapid emergency recovery by the surface ships nearby. According to the Ministry of Defence and Navy officials his actions have directly contributed to the saving of the other two officers on board with only minor injuries, for his efforts he has been posthumously promoted to Major.
3Mil Mi-14 (stored in non-airworthy condition)
| Type | Image | Origin | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM systems | |||
| Exocet[55] |  | France | anti-ship missile |
| P-15MC Termit[56] | .jpg) | Soviet Union | anti-ship missile |
| SAM systems | |||
| SA-N-4[57] |  | Soviet Union | surface-to-air missile |
| SA-N-5[57] |  | Soviet Union | manpad |
| SA-14[58] |  | Soviet Union | manpad |
| RIM-7 Sea Sparrow[55] |  |  United States | surface-to-air missile |
| CIWS | |||
| AK-630M[58] |  | Soviet Union | 30mm close in weapon system |
| Naval guns | |||
| AK-176M[59] |  | Soviet Union | 76mm naval gun |
| AK-726[57] |  | Soviet Union | 76mm naval gun |
| AK-230[57] |  | Soviet Union | 30mm twin naval gun |
| Creusot-Loire 100mm Naval Gun[55] |  | France | 100mm naval gun |
| ASW | |||
| RBU-1200[59] |  | Soviet Union | ASWrocket launcher |
| RBU-6000[57] |  | Soviet Union | ASW rocket launcher |
| Coastal Defence System | |||
| 4K51 Rubezh[56] |  | Soviet Union | coastal defence |
| Future acquisition | |||
| RBS-15 Mk3[60] |  | Sweden | anti-ship missile. |
| VL MICA[60] |  | France | vertical launched surface-to-air missile |
| Oerlikon Millennium Gun[60] | _NOCO2014_04_SMART-L.JPG) | Germany | 35mm close in weapon system |
| Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid[60] | _right_front_view_at_JMSDF_Yokosuka_Naval_Base_November_3%2c_2022_01.jpg) | Italy | 76mm naval gun |
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bulgarian Navy[61] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | -O7.svg) |  | -O5.svg) |  | -O3.svg) |  -O2.svg) |  -O1.svg) | ||||||
| Адмирал Admiral | Вицеадмирал Vitseadmiral | Контраадмирал Kontraadmiral | Флотилен адмирал Flotilen admiral | Капитан I ранг Kapitan I rang | Капитан II ранг Kapitan II rang | Капитан III ранг Kapitan III rang | Капитан-лейтенант Kapitan-leytenant | Старши лейтенант Starshi leĭtenant | Лейтенант Leytenant | |||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian Navy[61] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Офицерски кандидат Ofitserski kandidat | Мичман Mičman | Главен старшина Glaven starshina | Старшина 1 степен Starshina 1 stepen | Старшина 2 степен Starshina 2 stepen | Старши матрос Starshi matros | Матрос Matros | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
