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Armed Forces

Although Bulgaria officially committed itself to an overall modernisation of its armed forces in 1999, the true launch of the process occurred when at a closed session on May 27th, 2005, the Bulgarian government endorsed a list of 11 priority modernisation projects. The above mentioned projects are as follows:

  • Acquisition of new automobile equipment for the Armed Forces / new logistics vehicles;
  • Acquisition of new helicopters for the Bulgarian Air Force and modernisation of those already in service;
  • Acquisition of new multi-role fighter aircraft;
  • Acquisition of new military transport aircraft;
  • Design and construction of multipurpose corvettes;
  • Construction of a SCREEN coastal radar system for control of navigation and protection of maritime borders;
  • Modernisation, upgrade and acquisition of “second-hand” navy ships;
  • Acquisition of equipment for units deployed on missions abroad;
  • Development of the Armed Forces’ communication and information systems;
  • Implementation of a national programme for utilisation and destruction of excess equipment;
  • Acquisition of systems for intelligence, early warning and monitoring of nuclear, chemical and biological defence;

Although Bulgaria's defence budget for 2006 is estimated at BGN 1.124 mln., or 2.56% of its GDP, which ranks the country fifth-largest military spender in terms of GDP among NATO member states, certain major projects, such as that for the design and construction of multipurpose corvettes for the Navy, and for the acquisition of multi-role fighters for the Air Force due to financial restrictions will be launched only later in the current government's term of office.


TOTAL ARMED FORCES

ACTIVE: 51,000(including about 8,530 centrally controlled staff and Ministry of Defence staff, but excluding some 10,000 construction troops; perhaps 49,000 conscripts). Being restructured. To be 45,000 by 2004.
Terms of service 9 months

RESERVES 303,000
Army 250,500
Navy (to age 55, officers 60 or 65) 7,500
Air Force (to age 60) 45,000

ARMY 25,000
(including conscripts)
3 Military Districts / Corps HQ
-1 with 1 armoured brigade, 4 regiment Reserve and Territorial Command, 2 brigades(res)
-1 with 2 mechanised, 1 artillery brigade
-1 with 1 armoured, 1 light infantry, 2 artillery brigades, 3 regiment Reserve and Territorial Command, 4 brigades (res)
Army troops: 1 armoured recconnaisance, 1 rocket, 1 engineer brigade, 1 SF Command, 2 engineer, 2 NBC
EQUIPMENT
MBT 1,474: 1,042 T-55, 432 T-72
ASLT GUN 68 SU-100
RECCE 18 BRDM-1/-2 (non-op)
AIFV 100 BMP-1, 114 BMP-23
APC 618 BTR-60, 1,025 MT-LB (plus 1,144 "look-a-likes")
TOWED ARTILLERY 100mm: 16 M-1944 (BS-3); 122mm: 195 M-30, 25 M-1931/37 (A-19); 130mm: 60 M-46; 152mm: M-1937 (ML-20), 205 D-20
SP ARTILLERY 122mm: 692 2S1
MRL 122mm: 222 BM-21
MOR 120mm: 359 2S11 Tundzha SP
ATWG 200 AT-3 Sagger, AT-4 Spigot, AT-5 Spandrel
ATK GUNS 85mm: 150 D-44
AD GUNS400:23mm: ZU-23, ZSU-23-4 SP;57mm: S-60; 100mm: KS-19
SAM SA-7, 20 SA-3, 27 SA-4, 20 SA-6
SURVEILLANCE GS-13 (vehicle), Long Trough ((SNAR-1)artillery), Pork Trough ((SNAR-2/-6)artillery), Small Fred / Small Yawn (vehicle, artillery), Big Fred ((SNAR-10), vehicle, artillery)

Navy: estimated 4,370 (including estimated 2,000 conscripts)
COMMAND Northern Varna, Southern Burgas
BASES:
Varna, Burgas, Atya, Vidin, Balchik, Sozopol
SUBMARINES 1
SSK 1Pobeda (FSU Romeo) - class with 533mm TT(serviceability in doubt)
PRINCIPAL SURFACE COMBATANTS 1
FRIGATES 1
FF 1 Smeli (FSU Koni) with 1x2 SA-N-4 Gecko SAM, 2x2 76mm guns, 2x12 ASW RL
PATROL AND COASTAL COMBATANTS 23
CORVETTES 7
1 Tarantul II FSG with 2x2 SS-N-2C Styx SSM, 2x4 SA-N-5 Grail SAM, 1x76mm gun
4 Poti FS with 2 ASW RL, 4 ASTT
2 Pauk I FS with 1 SA-N-5 Grail SAM, 2x5 ASW RL, 4x406mm TT, 2x5 ASW RL
MISSILE CRAFT 6 Osa I/II PFM with 4 SS-N-2A/B Styx SSM
PATROL, INSHORE 10
10 Zhuk PFI<
MINE WARFARE 20
MINE COUNTERMEASURES 20
4 Sonya MSC, 4 Vanya MSC, 4 Yevgenya MSI<, 6 Olya MSI<, 2 PO-2 MSI<
AMPHIBIOUS 2 FSU Polnocny A LSM, capacity 150 troops, 6 tanks
Plus 6 LCU
SUPPORT AND MISCELLANEOUS 16
3 AO, 1 diving tender, 1 degaussing, 1 AT, 7 AG; 3 AGHS

NAVAL AVIATION
EQUIPMENT
10 armed helicopters
HELICOPTERS
ASW 10 Mi-14
COASTAL ARTILLERY 2 regiment, 20 battery
GUNS 130mm: 4 SM-4-1
SSM SS-C-1BSepal, SSC-3 Styx

NAVAL GUARD
3 companies

AIR FORCE 13,100
177 combat aircraft, 25 attack helicopters, 1 Tactical Aviation corps, 1 AD corps
Flying hours 30-40
FGA 1 Air Base with 39 Su-25 (35-A, 4-UB), 8 Su-22
FTR/RECCE 1 Air Base with 32 MiG-23, 59 MiG-21 bis, 21 MiG-29 (17-A, 4-UB), 18 MiG-21MF/UM
TPT 1 regiment with 2 Tu-134, 2 An-24, 5 An-26, 6 L-410,1 PC-12M, 1 Yak-40 (VIP)
SURVEY 1 An-30(Open Skies)
HELICOPTERS 1 helicopter base with 25 Mi-24*, 8 Mi-8, 23 Mi-17, 6 Bell-206, 1 Bell 230
TRG 2 training schools with 18 L-29 (basic), 28L-39ZA (advanced), 6 PC-9M
MISSILES
ASM AS-7 Kerry, AS-14 Kedge
AAM AA-2 Atoll, AA-7 Apex, AA-8 Aphid, AA-11Archer
SAM SA-2/-3/-5/-10 (20 sites, some 110 launchers)

FORCES ABROAD
IRAQ (Peace Support): estimated 466
UN AND PEACEKEEPING
AFGHANISTAN (ISAF): 34
BOSNIA (SFOR II): 1 platoon
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA (UNMEE): 7 including 2 observations
LIBERIA (UNMIL): 2 observations
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (UNMIK): 1 observation

PARAMILITARY 34,000
BORDER GUARDS (Ministry of Interior) 12,000
12 regiment; some 50 craft including about 12 FSU PO2 PCI<
SECURITY POLICE 4,000
RAILWAY AND CONSTRUCTION TROOPS 18,000


Source: The Military Balance 2004 - 2005, published by the Institute of International and Strategic Studies