This is a list of the equipment currently in use by the Bulgarian Land Forces.
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sig Sauer SP2022 | Handgun | 9×19mm Parabellum | Production in the United States. Used by Bulgarian Military Police and the Joint Special Operations Command .To become new standard issue pistol (possibly alongside another pistol) and replace the Makarov | |||
Arcus 98DA | Handgun | 9×19mm Parabellum | ||||
Makarov | Handgun | 9×18mm | Local production and standard issue to Army. The Army said that they plan on replacing the Makarov pistol. Copy pistols were produced from 1960. Arsenal 10 produced them between 1970 and 2007. Can be recognised through "((10))" arsenal markings, straight hammer serrations, slim star grip shells.[1] |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AR-M1 | Assault rifle | Standard issue infantry rifle of the Bulgarian Army. All to be modernized by 2025. Designated ''AK-47PT1''.[2] [3] | ||||
Assault rifle | Standard assault rifle of military police. | |||||
Assault rifle | Special forces only. In limited use with the 101st Alpine Regiment. | |||||
AR-M4SF | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO 7.62×39mm | Carbine rifle made by Arsenal Jsco and used by the Joint Special Operations Command and the Bulgarian Military Police. Produced locally. | |||
Assault rifle | Modernized variants in use by the Joint Special Operations Command (formerly known as the 68th Special Forces Brigade). Produced locally.[4] |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Submachine gun | Limited usage with the military. | |||||
Submachine gun | Used by Bulgarian Special Forces and Military Police. |
Benelli M4 Super 90 | Shotgun | Used By the Joint Special Operations Command. |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Used by the Joint Special Operations Command. | ||||||
Sniper rifle | Used by the Joint Special Operations Command. | |||||
Sniper rifle | Standard of the Bulgarian Land Forces alongside the Dragunov. | |||||
Zastava M91 | Sniper rifle | 7.62×54mmR | Used In the Land Forces alongside the Dragunov SVD. | |||
Semi-automatic sniper rifle | PSG-1A1 variates and used by Military Police of Bulgarian Land Forces. | |||||
| Produced locally. | |||||
Ritter & Stark SLX | Sniper rifle | .338 Lapua Magnum | Used by the Bulgarian Military Police.[5] |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard issue heavy machine gun of the Bulgarian Army and produced by Arsenal.[6] | ||||||
General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | Used by the Bulgarian Special Forces. | ||||
General-purpose machine gun | Used by Special forces and Regular units, Produced locally. PK/PKM copies were produced as the MG-1 & MG-1M.[7] | |||||
Produced locally by Arsenal as the LMG in three different calibers, 7.62×39mm, 5.45×39mm and 5.56×45mm NATO. A folding stock variant is known as the LMG-F.[8] [9] [10] | ||||||
M2 Browning | Heavy machine gun | 12.7×99mm | Used on the M1117 and to be used on the Stryker vehicles. |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RPG-22 | Light anti-tank weapon | High-explosive anti-tank with penetration of 400 mm versus RHA | Produced locally at VMZ Sopot.[11] | |||
73 mm (2.87 in) smoothbore[12] | Produced locally as SPG-9DNM. | |||||
Rocket-propelled grenade launcher | Produced locally by Arsenal Corporation as ATGL-L.[13] |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M6-211 Mortar | Light mortar | 60mm | Produced locally. | |||
M8 Mortar | Medium mortar | 81mm | Produced locally. | |||
M82 | Medium mortar | 82mm | [14] | |||
Heavy mortar | 120mm |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Automatic grenade launcher | 40 mm grenade | Used on the M1117. | ||||
30mm grenade | 30×25mm grenade launchers, AGS-17 derivate by Arsenal JSCo. | |||||
17.3 mm (0.68 in) | In use with the Land Forces and the Military Police.[15] | |||||
UBGL-M7 | Grenade launcher | 40mm caseless grenade | Underbarrel grenade launcher by Arsenal JSCo. | |||
UBGL-M6 | Grenade launcher | 40mm caseless grenade | Underbarrel grenade launcher by Arsenal JSCo. | |||
| Produced locally by Arsenal AD as the UBGL[16] and the UBGL-1.[17] |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FGM-148 Javelin | Fire-and-forget Anti-tank guided missile | 127 mm | 420 on order. To be used on the turret of the Stryker Dragoon. | |||
Spike NLOS Mk.5 | Ultra-long range Anti-tank guided missile | 170mm | Unspecified amount purchased and used by the Joint Special Operations Command. The Missile has a range of 32 km. | |||
9M117 Bastion | Laser beam riding anti-tank missile | 100 mm projectile | ||||
9K115 Metis | Anti-tank missile | High-explosive anti-tank shaped charge | ||||
9K114 Shturm | Anti-tank missile | High-explosive anti-tank shaped charge | ||||
9M113 Konkurs | Anti-tank missile | 9N131 high-explosive anti-tank | ||||
9K111 Fagot | | Anti-tank missile | High-explosive anti-tank warhead | Produced locally. | ||
9M14 Malyutka | | Anti-tank missile | Produced locally and in reserve. |
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9K38 Igla | | 1.17 kg (2.6 lb) with 390 g (14 oz) explosive | Produced locally. | |||
9K34 Strela-3 | | Man-portable air-defense system | 1.15 kg directed-energy blast fragmentation warhead (Strela-2M), 370 g HE content | Produced locally and in reserve. | ||
9K32 Strela-2 | | Man portable surface-to-air missile launcher | 1.15 kg directed-energy blast fragmentation warhead (Strela-2M), 370 g HE content | Produced locally and in reserve. |
Name | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Photo | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armoured fighting vehicles | |||||||
BMP-23/30 | Infantry fighting vehicle | BMP-23 BMP-23D BRM-23 BMP-30 | 70[23] | Locally designed infantry fighting vehicle with a 23-mm automatic cannon, 9K111 Fagot anti-tank guided missile launchers with a total of six missiles and an SA-7 Grail man-portable air-defense systems. | |||
Stryker | Armoured fighting vehicle | XM1296 M1126 M1132 M1130 M1133 M1135 | 0/183 | Bulgaria has ordered 183 Stryker and Dragoon armored vehicles. They will be additionally armored, equipped with Mk44 Bushmaster II gun, anti-tank missiles such as FGM-148 Javelin and communication systems.Bulgaria has ordered 90 XM1296s, 17 M1126s, 9 M1132s, 33 M1130s, 24 M1133s and 10 M1135s. To be delivered in 2025.[24] [25] | |||
BMP-1 | Infantry fighting vehicle | BMP1P | 90[26] | Soviet tracked infantry fighting vehicle with a 73-mm smoothbore gun. | |||
BTR-60 | Armoured personnel carrier | BTR60PB | 20[27] | Modernised to the BTR-60PB-MD1 standards. Possibly 500 in store. Produced locally. 100 were delivered to Ukraine. | |||
MT-LB / MT-LBu | Armoured personnel carrier | MT-LB | 100[28] | Possibly 600 in store. Light multi-purpose vehicle; mostly used as an armoured personnel carrier. Produced locally. | |||
BRDM-2 | Scout car | BRDM-2 | 12 | Armoured scout car. 200 in reserve. | |||
9P148 "Konkurs" | Anti-tank vehicle | 24[29] | Anti-tank vehicle based around the BRDM-2 with five AT-5 Spandrel missiles. | ||||
IAG Guardian | MRAP | Guardian Xtreme 4x4 | 45[30] | The armoured tactical vehicles are made by the SAMARM JV between Bulgarian manufacturer Samel 90 and UAE-based International Armored Group. | |||
Toyota Land Cruiser 79 | Armored Pickup truck, Combat Ambulance, Light Recon Vehicle, | 44 | Manufactured by International Armored Group. In use with the Joint Special Operations Command. Armed with a PKM machine gun. | ||||
Mercedes-Benz G-Class | Armoured jeep | 600 | A contract has been signed with Germany for additional 300 4x4 armoured G 280 CDi and non-armoured G 270 CDi jeep; partially armed with locally produced PKM machine guns. | ||||
UAZ-469 | Patrol vehicle | 700 | Off-road military light utility vehicle. | ||||
Plasan SandCat | Patrol vehicle | 27[31] | 4x4 armoured patrol vehicle used by the Military Police service. | ||||
M1117 | United States | Patrol vehicle | 17 | 4x4 multi-purpose armoured patrol vehicle. | |||
Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck | 8x8 Tactical Truck | M1120A4 LHS M984A5 Wrecker M978A4 Fuel Servicing truck | 0/15 | Bulgaria ordered 3 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Light Equipment Transports; 3 M1120A4 HEMTT Load Handling Systems; 3 M984A4 Wrecker HEMTTs and 6 M978A4 HEMTT Fuel Servicing Trucks with the Stryker vehicles. To be delivered in 2025. | |||
Mercedes-Benz Zetros | Germany | Off-road truck for extreme operations | 335 | As of 2012, it operates 335 trucks with 30 more on order. |
Name | Origin | Type | In service | Photo | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Artillery | ||||||
SS-21 Scarab-A | Tactical ballistic missile | 18 | The only remaining ballistic missile system from the now-disbanded Rocket Forces; 8 TELs and a classified quantity of missiles are in service. | |||
BM-21 | Multiple rocket launcher | 24 | 122-mm multiple-launch rocket system. Over 200 in reserve. Some BM-21s were purchased by Czechia and delivered to Ukraine. | |||
2S1 Gvozdika | Self-propelled howitzer | 48 | 122-mm self-propelled howitzer (possibly 500 in store) Some 2S1s were purchased by Czechia and delivered to Ukraine. | |||
D-20 | Howitzer | 24[32] | 152-mm towed howitzer; principal heavy artillery piece of the Bulgarian Army. Some D-20s were purchased by Czechia and delivered to Ukraine. | |||
MT-12 | Anti-tank gun | 126[33] | 100-mm anti-tank gun, now used mostly as conventional HE artillery. | |||
D-44 | Field gun | 150[34] | 85-mm field gun. All of them are in reserve. | |||
Air defense | ||||||
Surface-to-air missile system | 10 | Ten S-300 launchers, divided into two units with five launchers each. | ||||
SA-8 Gecko | Surface-to-air missile system | 24 | Highly mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system with 15 km range. | |||
SA-6 Gainful | Surface-to-air missile system | 20 | Mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defense system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. | |||
SA-13 Gopher | Surface-to-air missile system | 20 | Short-range battlefield surface-to-air missile system with 5 km range. | |||
S-200 | 10 | Long-range high-altitude surface-to-air missile system with 300 km range. | ||||
S-75 Dvina | Surface-to-air missile system | 18 | High-altitude surface-to-air missile system with 45 km range. In reserve. | |||
S-125 Neva/Pechora | 32 | Low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with 35 km range. | ||||
ZU-23-2 | AA gun | 128 | Most ZU-23-2s in Bulgarian service are mounted on ZIL-131 trucks. | |||
S-60 | AA gun | N/A | 57-mm towed aa gun.[35] | |||
Radar | ||||||
P-14 | 2D VHF Radar | 2-dimensional air search radar.[36] | ||||
P-18 | 2D VHF Radar. | 2-dimensional air search radar. | ||||
P-35/37MV1 Khristo | 2D E band/F band | P-37MV1 Bar Lock Upgrade. | ||||
ST-68U | 3D radar | Used on the S-300 system. |
Aerosonde Mk4.7 | Surveillance/Reconnaissance UAV | The Aerosonde Mk 4.7 was developed for aerial reconnaissance, surveillance, obtaining information on ground and moving targets. The system can also be used as a means of conducting reconnaissance of artillery targets.[37] | |
AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven | The RQ-11 Raven is a small hand-launched remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle.The Bulgarian Land Forces operate the RQ-11 since 2015.[38] | ||
AQUILA | VTOL Surveillance/Reconnaissance UAV | 12 Drones acquired through tactical reconnaissance UAV program.[39] [40] | |
Scytalys | Surveillance/Reconnaissance UAV |
New 5.56×45mm NATO rifles for the Joint Special Operations Command | Unknown | Assault rifle | Unknown | To replace current Special Forces rifles.[41] [42] | |
New 5.56×45mm NATO Light machine guns for the Joint Special Operations Command | Unknown | Light machine gun | Unknown | To replace current special forces LMGs.[43] | |
New 7.62×51mm NATO General-purpose machine guns for the Joint Special Operations Command | Unknown | General-purpose machine guns | Unknown | To replace current special forces GPMGs.[44] | |
New 9×19mm pistols | Unknown | Handgun | Unknown | There is a project to buy a new handgun which would replace the Makarov as the standard-issue pistol of the Bulgarian Land Forces.[45] [46] | |
New Designated marksman rifles for the Land Forces | Unknown | Designated marksman rifle | Unknown | The land forces have initiated a procurement order to buy DMRs to replace the SVD. | |
Reconnaissance Drones | Tactical reconnaissance UAV | 2 yet to be delivered | Bulgaria's Ministry of Defence invited 24 companies in the country and abroad to bid to supply 14 tactical reconnaissance drones for military use.The first lot involves the supply of 12 mini drone systems, and the second lot involves delivery of 2 small UAVs.In the end, a Greek company based in Athens was ranked first for the delivery of the 12 mini drone systems. A company from Israel has been selected to supply 2 small UAVs.[47] | ||
New Artillery Systems | Yet to be decided. | 155 mm Self propelled howitzer | 24-36 | The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence plans to acquire new 155 mm artillery systems.Some of the requirements are for the artillery to be wheeled for mobility and to have an armored hull. The favorites for this project are CAESAR by Nexter Systems and ATMOS 2000 by Elbit Systems.[48] [49] |-|NASAMS(or other system which can utilize the AIM-9X Sidewinder).| orother.|Surface-to-air missile systems able to utilize AIM-9X Sidewinder|Unknown||The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence plans to acquire Surface-to-air missile systems which can utilize the AIM-9X Sidewinders which are going to be used by the Bulgarian Air Force's F-16 Block 70s.[50] |-|IRIS-T SLM/SLX Medium Range Surface-to-air missiles||Medium|Up to 5 SLM and 1 SLX batteries||New Medium to Long Range Surface to Air Missiles are in the priority range of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence's Modernization program until 2032.[51] The IRIS-T SLM is the likely choice as Bulgaria joined the European Sky Shield Initiative.[52] On August 2, 2024 the Bulgarian cabinet sent a request to the parliament to obtain one IRIS-T SLM system for 182 114 000 euros.[53] |-|New 3D radars| |Early warning radar|5 stationary and 2 mobile||The companies that are participating in the competition are Israeli company Elta Systems, US company Lockheed Martin, Spanish company Indra Sistemas, French company Thales Group and Italian company Leonardo S.p.A.. The radars will be used by the Bulgarian Air Force.[54] |-|New Coastal Anti-ship missiles||Coastal Anti-ship missiles|Unknown| |Bulgaria is buying RBS 15 Mk.3 missiles for around 50 million BGN. The RBS 15 Mk.3 will be used by the Bulgarian Navy.[55] |-|M142 HIMARS(or equal system)| Or other|Multiple Launch Rocket System |Unknown||The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and The Chief of Defence are interested in acquiring the HIMARS or an equal system for the Bulgarian Land Forces.[56] |-|New Attack Helicopters |Yet to be decided.|Attack helicopter|Unknown||New attack helicopters are a part of the military modernization program until 2032. They most likely will replace the aging Mil Mi-24s of the Bulgarian Air Force.[57] |} Retired equipment
See alsoExternal links
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