site.btaFlag-Raising Ceremony for Bulgaria's New Navy Patrol Vessel Hrabri to Take Place in Varna

A military ceremony for the formal hoisting of the Bulgarian Navy flag on the newly acquired multipurpose modular patrol vessel Hrabri (Brave) will take place on Monday at Varna Naval Base, the press office of the Defence Ministry announced. The ceremony will be attended by Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, and Deputy Defence Minister Adelina Nikolova.

Hrabri is the first of two multipurpose modular patrol vessels being built under a project for the acquisition of such vessels for the navy.

Implementation of the project began in 2020 with the signing of a contract between the Defence Ministry and Fr. Lurssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG, later renamed Naval Vessels Lurssen (NVL). Construction of the first vessel officially commenced on December 3, 2021 with a ceremony at the MTG Dolphin Shiprepair and Shipbuilding Company in Varna.

In November, Hrabri underwent evaluations in Varna Bay and designated areas of the Black Sea, focusing on performance and systems ahead of the expected commissioning of the vessel into service by the end of the year.