site.btaBulgarian Navy Meets 2025 Personnel Training, Planned Exercises Targets

The Bulgarian Navy has successfully met the targets set for personnel training and planned exercises, the Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, said here on Wednesday. He presented the main conclusions of an analysis of the state of the armed service component in 2025.

The analysis concluded that the Navy carried out the main activities set out in its Action Plan for 2025 and is capable of fulfilling the tasks arising from the missions of the armed forces. Training and activity focused on ensuring maritime sovereignty, maintaining information awareness, control of shipping, protection of maritime communications and economic activity at sea, and preparation of the units declared for NATO and the EU, the analysis pointed out.

The Commander noted that all planned exercises for the year were carried out and that the 29th Breeze 2025 National Naval Exercise with international participation took place yet again in the context of a complicated military-political situation in the region. He added that the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Naval Group (MCM Black Sea) joined the exercise for a second time and that Bulgarian Navy personnel and ships were involved in exercises of the Alliance and of Allies and as part of the headquarters of standing maritime groups, as well as in NATO and EU operations, which provides support for international peace and security.

In 2026, the Navy will target maintaining and developing defence capabilities to perform the full range of tasks under the three missions of the armed forces within allocated resources, as well as continuing the Navy modernization processes, Rear Admiral Mihaylov said.

In his address at the analysis event, the Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, stressed the importance of real-time information, speed of decision-making and targeted impact in the course of modern combat operations. He also highlighted the successful certification of the naval tactical group for special operations and the implementation of the first stage of the commissioning of the first new multipurpose modular patrol vessel.