page_title: Bulgarian Navy
section_title: Structure
hierarchical_section_title: Bulgarian Navy / Structure
context_page_description: The Bulgarian Navy is the navy of the Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It has been largely overlooked in the reforms that Bulgaria had to go through in order to comply with NATO standards, mostly because of the great expense involved and the fact that naval assaults are not considered to be a great concern for the country's security. That is why three of the four Romeo-class submarines are now docked and have been out of operation for some time. The last one was decommissioned in November 2011. Only the more modern frigates, corvettes and missile crafts are on active duty.
  In order to meet some of the NATO requirements, the Bulgarian government purchased a Wielingen-class frigate from Belgium in 2005. BNS Wandelaar, built in 1977, was renamed BG Drazki. That same year the Bulgarian ship Smeli took part as a full NATO member for the first time in NATO OAE. In 2006, following a decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly, Drazki deployed as part of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, patrolling the territorial waters of Lebanon under German command.
context_section_description: Naval Forces Command, Varna
  Naval Forces Staff
  Naval Operations Center
  Coastal Fundamental System for CIS Support
  Coastal Information Detachment
  Independent Electronic Surveillance Detachment
  Command, Control and Communications Units
  Naval Base Command
  Naval Base Staff
  Naval Base Location Varna
  Naval Base Location Atia
  Repair and Maintenance Center
  Armament and Equipment Storage
  Ship Divisions
  1st Patrol Ships Division
  3rd Mine Counter-Measure Division
  4th Patrol Ships Division
  6th Mine Counter-Measure Division
  18th Support Ships Division
  96th Support Ships Division
  2nd Coastal Anti-Ship Missile and Artillery Battalion
  Independent Naval Helicopter Air Base "Chayka"
  63rd Naval Special Forces Reconnaissance Detachment "Black Sea Sharks"
  Hydrographical Service of the Naval Forces
  Equipment Storage Base of the Naval Forces
  Military Police Company of the Naval Forces Command
  A "Division" is the equivalent of land forces battalion or air force squadron as the Bulgarian Navy follows the Russian naval tradition, according to which an "Operational Squadron" or "Оперативная эскадра" is a temporary formation, an equivalent of a land forces division and in modern times a "Squadron" of the Russian Navy is an equivalent of a land forces corps.
  According to the reform plans envisioned in the White Paper on Defence 2010, the two naval bases would be merged into one with two base facilities in Varna and Burgas. The manpower of the Navy would account to about 3,400 seamen. The ordered Eurocopter AS565 MB Panther helicopters were reduced from six to three units. Between 2011 and 2020 the naval "Longterm Investment Plan" should come into action, providing the sea arm of the Bulgarian military with modernised ships and new equipment.
caption: The Wielingen-class frigate ex-Westdiep, now BGS Gordi
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