site.btaParliament Approves Investment Expenditure Project for Acquisition of Coastal Anti-Ship Missile Systems

Parliament Thursday approved an investment expenditure project titled "Acquisition of Coastal Anti-Ship Missile Systems". A total of 128 MPs voted in favour, 35 were against, and nine abstained.

At a weekly meeting on January 21, the outgoing Cabinet adopted a decision to table to the National Assembly a proposal for approval of the project for anti-ship missile systems for the Bulgarian Navy.

The project is based on proposals submitted by the US side for two draft contracts – one for the acquisition of a mobile coastal defence system (coastal anti-ship missile systems) and another for the acquisition of a multifunctional information exchange system.

Outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that the acquisition of coastal anti-ship missile systems for the Navy would enable the modernization and development of capabilities, ensure Bulgaria’s national contribution to NATO, and end the country’s critical dependence on Russia in the field of armaments. He noted that the value of the contract exceeds USD 205 million, and that the validity of the offer runs until the end of February this year.

He explained that this step is necessary because Bulgaria previously operated two coastal missile systems of different types – one has already been decommissioned, while the second dates back to the Soviet era and must be withdrawn from service by 2029–2030. With the implementation of the project and the main deliveries, continuity of the process will be ensured, with the decommissioning of the old equipment overlapping with the assumption of duty by a new Western-model anti-ship system, he explained.

In response to a question from Vazrazhdane, Zapryanov said that the delivery of drones is included under a different programme. The government plans for procurement of drones for the Air Force and the Land Forces to be awarded to Bulgarian companies with which it is already in contact, he added.