The Sofia Globe staff

Bulgaria’s government has approved a report by an interdepartmental working group recommending handing the tender to supply two naval patrol vessels to German shipbuilding company Fr. Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co.KG.

A government media statement said that the offer from the German firm was within the project’s financial framework of 984 million leva million leva, including value-added tax (about 503 million euro).

The aim of the project is to acquire two multifunctional modular patrol vessels, capable of participating in a wide range of Nato and EU naval operations, to replace part of the existing Russian-made naval ships in the Navy, which are beyond modernisation and repair, the statement said.


Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov was instructed to follow-up on the preparation and signing of the contract with the German company.

The company had provided all the necessary documents related to personal status, selection criteria and technical requirements.

In April 2019, it was announced that three companies, had submitted bids to supply the Bulgarian Navy with two new multi-purpose patrol vessels.

The three companies that met the April 16 2019 deadline to submit bids were Fr. Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co.KG of Germany, MTG Delfin AD of Bulgaria, and Fincantieri of Italy.

The Bulgarian Navy currently has six naval vessels, three dating from the Soviet era and the rest second-hand former Belgian vessels.

Note: The photo is illustrative