Bulgaria signs 194M leva deal with German firm on equipment for new naval vessels
Bulgaria’s caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zaprianov and Naval Vessels Lürssen representative Dirk Malgowski signed on August 15 an additional agreement on the 194.3 million leva of electronic weapons systems for the naval patrol vessels that the German firm is building for the Bulgarian Navy.
The aim is to equip the two multifunctional modular patrol ships with the systems to ensure their protection at the very beginning of their operation by the Navy, Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry said.
The first multi-role modular patrol ship is expected to be delivered to the Navy at the end of 2025, and the second, fully equipped ship – two years later, in early 2027, the ministry said.
The project was approved by the National Assembly on July 26 2024.
The funds will be spent according to schedule from 2024 to 2028 and will be provided within the planned defence budget for the respective year.
The ceremony took place in the presence of German ambassador Irene Plank, Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov, Deputy Defence Minister Adelina Nikolova, Navy second-in-command Fleet Admiral Vanyo Musinski and the sales director of the shipbuilding company, Bero Brinkmann.
Zapryanov thanked the company for the excellent work on building the ships so far, the ministry said.
“What has been achieved so far gives me reason to be confident that the annex we are signing will be completed on time and we will achieve the desired parameters in terms of the ships’ capabilities,” he said.
“I highly value our cooperation and look forward to seeing the ships built,” the statement quoted Plank as saying.
“I am proud that my company is a partner of the Bulgarian Navy. With these multi-functional modular patrol ships, a new era for the Navy begins, they are a very modern modern means that can protect Bulgarian territory,” Malgovski said.
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