Defense industry of Bulgaria

Updated on Dec 19, 2024

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Bulgaria is a NATO member country with a large indigenous defence industry. Most of its weaponry is of Soviet design, but with significantly improved performance. Bulgaria is ranked as a "medium" small arms exporter according to the Small Arms Survey.

History

Despite having local arms factories, until 1944 Bulgaria relied mostly on imports to equip its military. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian defence industry was capable of producing training and light attack aircraft, such as the DAR-10 and Laz-7. After the installment of a Communist government the same year, the country started a process of massive industrialization, but continued to import equipment. By the 1980s a large part of the equipment came from local suppliers. In the late 1980s exports reached about $800 mln. annually, trade partners being mostly Egypt, Algeria, Angola, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Cuba and Vietnam.

Manufacturers

Arsenal AD - oldest weapons manufacturer (est. 1878), largest machine-building company in the country; produces pistols, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, light machine guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, air-defense systems, anti-tank grenade launchers, automatic grenade launchers, ammunition for small arms, artillery rounds, bombs, anti-tank weapons ammunition, unguided rockets and others;

TEREM - mostly ammunition and spares;

VMZ Sopot - anti-tank guided and unguided missiles, aviation unguided missiles and artillery ammunition;

Samel 90 - communication equipment, surface-to-air missiles and others;

Armstechno - drones and UAVs;

THOR Global Defense Group - Small Arms and Long Range Systems - Franchise Office;

Apolo GmbH - uniforms;

State military technology institute

OPTIX JSC - optical devices and systems as day and night vision goggles, monoculars and binoculars, cameras and sights as well as thermovision devices such as sights, monoculars and cameras;

Small arms

AR series - AR-M1 assault rifle and others. The basic AR-M1 is chambered in 5.45x39 mm, has a 600 rpm rate of fire, 900 m/s muzzle velocity, nearly 600 g lighter than the original AK-74 (loaded weight), somewhat more durable, a rail for an optical or reflex sights.

AKS-74u assault rifle

Arsenal Shipka submachine gun

LMG light machine gun

MG-M1 general purpose machine gun

Arcus 98DA pistol

Makarov PM pistol

Artillery

Mortars - 60–120 mm

2S12 Tundzha SP mortars (two variants - 82 and 120 mm)

2S1 Karamfil SP howitzers

Air defence equipment

SA-7B Grail MANPADS

SA-14 Gremlin MANPADS

SA-16 Gimlet MANPADS

SA-18 Grouse MANPADS

Anti-tank weapons

SPG-9DNM recoilless rifle

RPG-7 grenade launcher

RPG-22 one-shot disposable rocket launcher (issued as a round of ammunition)

AT-3 Sagger ATGM

AT-4 Spigot ATGM

AT-5 Spandrel ATGM

Armored vehicles

MT-LB in different versions

BMP-23

BTR-60:

BTR-60PAU - Artillery command variant of the BTR-60PA with 4 whip antennas.

BTR-60PB with Polish WAT turret from SKOT-2AP. Only a prototype was made.

BTR-60PB-MD (bronyetransport’or moderniziran) - BTR-60PB upgraded with VAMO DT3900 or Rover TD-200 diesel engine, four MB smoke grenade dischargers on the turret (two on each side), "Melopa" night sight, new day sight, new NBC protection system and modern radios. It also has a rear view mirror on the left hand side of the hull. Only a prototype was made.

BTR-60PB-MD1 - Version for the Bulgarian army, powered by a Cummins ISB 25.30 turbocharged Euro 3 diesel engine of 250 hp and fitted with side hatches. About 150 in service.

BTR-60PB-MD3 - export model, fitted with a KamAZ diesel engine, different sights and eight additional smoke grenade launchers in the front right corner of the hull. The prototype, shown in 2004, was based on a BTR-60PA.