site.btaMinistry of Defence: Sea Trials of Navy's Multifunctional Modular Patrol Ship Start

Sea trials for the first of two multifunctional modular patrol ships for the Bulgarian Navy are to begin on November 11 in the vicinity of the Gluf of Varna and designated areas of the Black Sea, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The Ministry added that these tests represent the next stage in the implementation of the contract between the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and the German shipbuilding company Naval Vessels Lurssen (NVL) for the construction of the two new combat vessels. Once the tests have been successfully completed, the ship will be accepted into the Navy. 

Construction of the ship began on December 3, 2021, with a ceremony to mark the start of steel cutting. On June 17, 2022, the keel of the first of the two ships, named Hrabri, was laid at the MTG-Delfin shipyard. On August 7, 2023, the ship was removed from the dock and launched. According to the announcement, the next stages of equipping the ship with weapons and equipment are also proceeding successfully.