Armed forces of the Warsaw Pact countries. Bulgarian People's Army. You might be interested

Armed forces of the Warsaw Pact countries. Bulgarian People's Army. September 28th, 2017

Hello dears.
Last time we recalled the armed forces of the Hungarian People's Republic:
Well, today let’s remember the Bulgarian People’s Army.

In my deep conviction, this was perhaps the weakest of all the armies of the Eastern bloc. And this is due to the fact that the country was farthest from the likely theater of military operations, although it is difficult to call it the rear. She had her own tasks - fighting against NATO troops in Greece and working with Turkey.

When talking about weakness, we must understand that this is a relative question. The Bulgarian People's Republic had enough strength and resources, especially in modern times :-) IMHO they were simply weaker than the Germans, Czechs, Romanians and Hungarians.
Well, one more thing. There were no Soviet Army units in Bulgaria at all, and this is also quite significant, don’t you agree?

As in the First World War, the Second Bulgaria began as an enemy of our country. Of course, this was the weakest link among the Reich’s satellites, and the Bulgarians did not fight against them at all. There are rumors about one part, but overall nothing concrete. Well, as soon as the Red Army reached its borders, they quickly carried out a military coup and went over to the side of the Allies.
Therefore, in principle, we can say that the Bulgarian People's Army was created back in 1944. And they even took part in the battles for Lake Balaton in Yugoslavia and Austria. It's funny that we fought with German equipment. Ours handed them over the captured one - it was more convenient, and the Bulgarians were trained on it. For example, the Bulgarians on their “Panther”

The post-war Sovietization of the country also affected the armed forces. We can say that the Bulgarian People's Army marched in the wake of the Soviet army. At first, most of the officers trained with us.
By the 1980s, a clear and coherent system of the armed forces of the People's Republic of Belarus had developed.
The number was 152,000 people.

The army was divided into
- ground troops
- air defense troops and air force
- Navy
And additional forces: construction troops, logistics structures and services, civil defense.
Border troops were subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In Bulgaria there were 4 military officers training schools and one Military Academy named after. G. S. Rakovsky.
The army was subordinate to the Minister of People's Defense. The most famous minister was Army General Dobri Dzhurov.

The ground forces consisted of eight mechanized divisions and five tank brigades, which had a fairly large number of tanks - 1900, although only 100 of which were T-72s. The rest are T-62, T-55 and most importantly a huge number of T-34-85. The Bulgarians entered Czechoslovakia in 1968 using the T-34.

The army had many armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles.
Particular emphasis was placed on the defense of the borders with Turkey and Greece. Thus, turrets from disabled Soviet tanks, like the turrets of German Pz.III and Pz.IV tanks, were used in the construction of fortifications on the Bulgarian-Turkish border.
The army was armed with 8 R-400 (SS 23) complexes with a coverage of 480 km; 50 R-300 Elbrus (Scud) complexes with the ability to install nuclear warheads with a coverage of 300 km; as well as tactical missile systems 9K52 "Luna" with a coverage of 70 km with the ability to install a nuclear warhead, 1 complex 9K79 "Tochka" (SS21) with a coverage of 70 km.

The air defense forces were also quite good. In service were 26 anti-aircraft missile divisions armed with the following complexes: S-200 with a coverage of up to 240 km, 10 S-300 mobile installations with a coverage of up to 75 km, 20 SA-75 Volkhov mobile installations with a coverage of up to 43 km and SA-75 "Dvina" with a coverage of up to 29 km, 20 mobile complexes 2K12 "KUB" with a coverage of up to 24 km, 1 anti-aircraft missile brigade of the 2K11 "Krug" system with a coverage of 50 km, 24 mobile air defense systems "Osa" with a coverage of up to 13 km, 30 mobile units S-125 "Pechora" with a coverage of 28 km, 20 mobile complexes 9K35 "Strela-YUSV" with a coverage of 5 km.

The air force had about 300 aircraft and helicopters. The basis was, of course, the MiG-21, of which there were an overwhelming number, but there were also modern aircraft - MiG-23, MiG-25 and even MiG-29. Plus about 50 Mi-24 helicopters.

Serious resources were concentrated in the Navy. The fleet included 2 destroyers, 3 patrol ships, 1 frigate, 1 missile corvette, 4 submarines, 6 missile boats, 6 torpedo boats, 12 submarine chasers, several dozen minelayers, base and offshore minesweepers, patrol ships, landing ships ships serving ships, boats and others;

coastal missile systems and coastal artillery 130 mm and 100 mm batteries controlled by radar stations, a naval helicopter squadron, naval aviation with 10 combat and 1 transport vehicle, parachute and diving units, a marine battalion. Not bad that way.

The uniform as a whole was originally borrowed from the Soviet army.

Gradually, it began to acquire its own features and characteristics with an emphasis on historical memory - the cut of the uniform, a different color of the material, different buttonholes, as well as its own special Bulgarian cap, similar to the Italian bustina, which we talked about here here.

(since 2002)
Iraq War (2003-2008)
Intervention in Libya (2011)

The armed forces include:

Story

Separate detachments of Bulgarian volunteers appeared as part of the Russian army in the 19th century.

1878-1913

In 1885, the first female volunteer, Yonka Marinova, was accepted into the Bulgarian army (she became the only female soldier to participate in the 1885 war).

On April 28, 1888, by order of the Minister of War, the “Military Publishing House” was created, and the publication of the official magazine of the War Ministry began.

In December 1899, a decision was made to rearm the Bulgarian army with an 8-mm Mannlicher repeating rifle mod. 1888.

In 1890, a general headquarters was created.

In 1891, 8-mm Mannlicher repeating rifles mod. 1888/90

In 1902, the Russian-Bulgarian military convention was signed. In the autumn of 1903, after the suppression of the Ilinden Uprising in Macedonia by Turkish troops, the Bulgarian government increased military spending.

On December 31, 1903, a law was passed (“ The law for the organization of power in the Bulgarian Kingdom"), establishing a new organizational structure and recruitment procedure for the Bulgarian army. Those liable for military service were Bulgarian male subjects recognized as fit for military service, aged from 20 to 46 years (inclusive).

In 1907, the German 8-mm heavy machine gun MG.01/03 mod. was adopted by the Bulgarian army. 1904 (under the name "Maxim-Spandau"), in 1910 - the first cars.

In 1912, the peacetime army consisted of 4,000 officers and 59,081 lower ranks - 9 divisions (each of four two-battalion regiments, which were to be reorganized into four-battalion regiments upon mobilization) and a number of individual units. In addition, it was envisaged to create reserve units (in total there were 133 thousand people, 300 guns and 72 machine guns in the reserve units) and separate militia battalions to perform security service in the rear.

After the creation of the Balkan Union in the spring of 1912, before the start of the First Balkan War, the armed forces of Bulgaria numbered 180 thousand people. During 1912, Russia supplied the Bulgarian army with 50,000 three-line rifles and 25,000 Berdan No. 2 rifles. The total cost of weapons and ammunition received by Bulgaria from the Russian Empire in the period until December 15, 1912 amounted to 224,229 rubles. In addition, the government allowed the departure of volunteers, the collection of funds and the dispatch of sanitary and medical units to Bulgaria. As a result, the Russian Red Cross sent a field military hospital with 400 beds and three field hospitals (with 100 beds each) to Bulgaria, another four medical units (with 50 beds each) were sent to Bulgaria by the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma.

In 1912-1913, the First Balkan War took place, in which Bulgaria, in alliance with Serbia, Montenegro and Greece, fought against the Ottoman Empire. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of London. Subsequently, Bulgaria participated in the Second Balkan War against its former allies in the anti-Turkish coalition.

In 1913, Bulgaria increased military spending to 2 billion leva (which accounted for more than half of the country's total budget expenditures). At the end of 1913, Bulgaria increased the purchase of weapons and ammunition from Austria-Hungary and Germany, at the same time the enrollment of cadets in the country’s military educational institutions was increasing, retraining of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Bulgarian army was being intensively carried out, taking into account the experience of the ended Balkan War, and ideological preparation for war (the publication of periodicals “People and Army” and “Military Bulgaria” began) and the dissemination of ideas for revising the Treaty of Bucharest.

1914-1918

On July 12, 1914, a German-Bulgarian agreement was signed, according to which the Bulgarian government received a loan in Germany in the amount of 500 million francs and accepted an obligation to spend 100 million francs from the loan received by placing a military order with enterprises in Germany and Austria-Hungary.

By the beginning of 1915, most of the Bulgarian army soldiers wore uniforms mod. 1908 (brown), although some units had already received the new gray-green field uniform.

On September 6, 1915, documents were signed on the accession of Bulgaria to the bloc of the Central Powers, according to which Germany and Austria-Hungary pledged to provide assistance to Bulgaria with military personnel, weapons and ammunition, and the Bulgarian government, in accordance with the military convention, pledged within 35 days after signing convention to start a war against Serbia.

On September 8 (21), 1915, Bulgaria announced mobilization (lasting from September 11 to 30, 1915) and on October 15, 1915, it entered the First World War on the side of the Central Powers (after the completion of mobilization, the Bulgarian army numbered about 500 thousand people, consisting of 12 divisions). The total number of people mobilized into the Bulgarian armed forces during the war was 1 million.

As of October 14, 1915, the main type of rifle in the Bulgarian army was the Austrian rifles of the Mannlicher system of several modifications, but the reserve units were armed with rifles of other systems, including obsolete ones: 46,056 Russian three-line rifles mod. 1891, 12,982 Turkish Mauser rifles (trophies of the 1912 war), 995 Serbian Mauser rifles (trophies of the 1913 war), 54,912 Berdan rifles No. 2 mod. 1870, 12,800 Krnka rifles mod. 1869, etc. Also in service with the army were 248 German heavy machine guns of the Maxim system (another 36 captured Turkish machine guns of the Maxim system were in storage).

In addition, by the time it acted on the side of the Central Powers in October 1915, the Bulgarian army had up to 500 light guns (mainly 75-mm Schneider-Canet field guns model 1904), about 50 heavy guns of the Schneider system and about 50 pcs. 75-mm rapid-fire mountain guns Schneider-Canet with a significant supply of shells (during the war, shells for French-made guns in service with the Bulgarian army were supplied by Germany, which captured a significant number of captured shells in the warehouses of the French army on the Western Front).

In 1915-1918 Germany and Austria-Hungary supplied weapons, ammunition, equipment and other military equipment to the Bulgarian army. In addition, Germany donated large quantities of German field uniforms to the Bulgarian Army.

In February 1918, Germany practically stopped supplying weapons, equipment and uniforms to the Bulgarian army and military assistance to Bulgaria.

Austria-Hungary transferred several Schumann armored carriages to Bulgaria (in 1918, after the Entente troops went on the offensive, they were captured by the French Army of the East).

Under the control of the Entente, demobilization was carried out: parts of the Bulgarian army were returned to garrisons and disbanded, and their weapons were taken to military and government warehouses. However, even before the signing of the agreement, the civil authorities and the military leadership of Bulgaria tried to preserve some of the weapons: secret warehouses were equipped in the country, in which they managed to hide a certain amount of small arms (pistols, rifles, machine guns), a significant amount of ammunition, hand grenades and artillery shells

1919-1930

In accordance with the Treaty of Neuilly, signed on November 27, 1919, the number of Bulgarian armed forces was reduced to 33 thousand people (20 thousand military personnel of the ground forces, 3 thousand military personnel of the border troops and 10 thousand in the gendarmerie), the navy was reduced to 10 ships, recruitment of the armed forces by conscription was prohibited.

On June 14, 1920, the government of A. Stamboliskiy decided to create construction troops (which were considered as a possible organized reserve for creating units of the Bulgarian army).

At the beginning of 1921, units of Wrangel’s army began to arrive in Bulgaria in an organized manner, which were located mainly in the barracks of the demobilized Bulgarian army (in total, about 35 thousand White emigrants arrived in the country by the end of 1921) and retained the right to carry military uniforms and weapons. On August 17, 1922, General P. N. Wrangel ordered General E. K. Miller to begin negotiations with representatives of the military-political circles of Bulgaria on the formation of a new government of Bulgaria, which was to include a Russian general from among the White emigrants as Minister of War, however Preparations for the coup d'etat were revealed, after which parts of the White emigrants who were in Bulgaria were deprived of extraterritoriality and disarmed.

In January 1923, the publication of the magazine "Artileriyski Pregled" began.

Units of the Bulgarian army were used to suppress the peasant uprising on June 9-11, 1923 and the September Uprising (September 14-29, 1923).

On July 1, 1924, Bulgarian ministers A. Tsankov, I. Rusev, I. Vylkov and representatives of Wrangel’s army in Bulgaria (generals S. A. Ronzhin, F. F. Abramov and V. K. Vitkovsky) concluded a secret cooperation agreement, which provided for the possibility of arming and using units of Wrangel's army located in Bulgaria in the interests of the Bulgarian government.

In October 1925, in the area of the city of Petrich on the line of the Bulgarian-Greek border, a border conflict took place: after a Bulgarian border guard shot a Greek border guard on October 19, 1925, the Greek government sent an ultimatum to the Bulgarian government, and on October 22, 1925, part of the VI Greek divisions crossed the border without declaring war and occupied ten villages on Bulgarian territory (Kulata, Chuchuligovo, Marino Pole, Marikostinovo, Dolno-Spanchevo, Novo Khodzhovo, Piperitsa, Lehovo, etc.). Bulgaria protested; on the left bank of the Struma River, Bulgarian border guards, with the assistance of volunteers from the local population, set up defensive positions and prevented the further advance of Greek troops; units of the 7th Bulgarian Infantry Division began moving to the border. On October 29, 1925, Greek troops retreated from occupied Bulgarian territory.

In the mid-1920s. The restoration of the military industry begins:

in 1924-1927 A military plant of the Far Eastern Fleet was built in the city of Kazanlak.
in 1925-1926 The first aircraft plant, DAR, was built in Bozhurisht, where aircraft production began.

1930-1940

In the 1930s, a rapprochement between the government circles of Bulgaria, Germany and Italy began, including in the field of military cooperation, which intensified after the signing of the pact on the creation of the “Balkan Entente” on February 9, 1934 and the military coup on May 19, 1934. During the same period, supplies of weapons and military equipment began from Germany and Italy.

On November 27, 1934, Bulgaria signed the Saavedra Lamas Pact.

In 1936, instead of the German helmet model 1916, the steel helmet model 1936 was adopted by the Bulgarian army. New helmets began to arrive in the army from the beginning of 1937, but German helmets also continued to be used.

On July 9, 1936, construction of a plant for the production of artillery ammunition began in the city of Sopot (the plant opened on July 12, 1940).

On July 18, 1936, Tsar Boris III signed decree No. 310 on the creation of a civil defense system to protect the population from air raids and chemical weapons.

On July 31, 1937, the Bulgarian government adopted an army rearmament program, its financing was undertaken by England and France, which provided Bulgaria with a loan of $10 million.

From the beginning of 1938, Bulgaria began negotiations with Germany about the possibility of concluding an agreement on obtaining a loan for the purchase of weapons. On March 12, 1938, a secret protocol was signed, according to which Germany provided Bulgaria with a loan of 30 million Reichsmarks for the purchase of weapons.

On May 13, 1938, in Sofia, Turkish Foreign Minister Rüşto Aras and Turkish Prime Minister Celal Bayar, on behalf of all countries of the Balkan Entente, proposed that Bulgaria conclude an agreement recognizing its equality in matters of weapons in exchange for a declaration of non-aggression by the Bulgarian government.

On July 31, 1938, the Thessaloniki Agreements were signed, according to which, from August 1, 1938, restrictions on increasing the army were lifted from Bulgaria, and they were also allowed to send Bulgarian troops into previously demilitarized zones on the borders with Greece and Turkey.

Subsequently, an increase in military spending, the size and armament of the Bulgarian army began. At the same time, the Bulgarian government began developing the military industry.

After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Germany began supplying captured Czechoslovak-made weapons to the Bulgarian army: in particular, 12 Aero MB.200 bombers (French Bloch MB.200 bombers produced under license in Czechoslovakia) were transferred to Bulgaria; 32 Avia B.71 bombers (Soviet SB bombers, produced under license in Czechoslovakia); 12 Avia B.135B fighters; Avia B.534 fighters; Letov Š-328 reconnaissance aircraft; Avia B.122 training aircraft; small arms (in particular, CZ.38 pistols, ZK-383 submachine guns, ZB vz. 26 machine guns). Later, 36 LT vz.35 tanks and others were received.

After the occupation of Norway in the spring of 1940, Germany began supplying captured weapons captured in Norway to Bulgaria.

1941-1945

In January 1941, the Germans delivered ten Stoewer R200 Spezial 40 SUVs to the Bulgarian army.

On April 19-20, 1941, in accordance with an agreement between Germany, Italy and the Bulgarian government, units of the Bulgarian army crossed the borders with Yugoslavia and Greece without declaring war and occupied territories in Macedonia and Northern Greece.

On June 25, 1941, an armored regiment was formed as part of the Bulgarian army (based on the 1st tank battalion created in 1939).

On November 25, 1941, Bulgaria joined the Anti-Comintern Pact.

On December 13, 1941, Bulgaria declared war on the United States and Great Britain, but the Bulgarian army did not take an active part in hostilities against the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

At the beginning of 1943, a parachute battalion was created as part of the Bulgarian army.

In July 1943, the Germans began rearmament of the Bulgarian army. In accordance with the rearmament program (commonly called the “Barbar Plan”), the Germans supplied 61 PzKpfw IV tanks, 10 Pz.Kpfw.38(t) tanks, 55 StuG 40 assault guns, 20 armored vehicles (17 Sd.Kfz.222 and 3 Sd.Kfz.223), artillery pieces and other weapons.

On September 1, 1943, the first motorized formation was created as part of the Bulgarian army: an automobile regiment ( General Army Kamionen Regiment).

In 1944, military expenditures accounted for 43.8% of all state budget expenditures. The total strength of the Bulgarian army was 450 thousand people (21 infantry divisions, 2 cavalry divisions and 2 border brigades), it was armed with 410 aircraft, 80 combat and auxiliary vessels.

On August 3, 1944, the Bulgarian Ministerial Council Resolution No. 23 was issued, according to which the Bulgarian police and gendarmerie were subordinated to the military command.

Subsequently, on September 9, 1944, as a result of the September Revolution, the government of the Fatherland Front came to power in the country, which decided to create Bulgarian People's Army.

The Bulgarian People's Army included fighters from partisan detachments and combat groups, activists of the Resistance movement and 40 thousand volunteers. In total, by the end of the war, 450 thousand people were drafted into the new army, of which 290 thousand took part in hostilities.

Also, during this period, the Bulgarian army began to receive weapons and military equipment from the USSR.

In addition, the training of military personnel of the Bulgarian army in military educational institutions of the USSR began - by February 15, 1945, 21 Bulgarian officers and generals were studying and undergoing advanced training in Soviet military academies.

Bulgarian troops took part in hostilities against Germany on the territory of Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria, took part in the Belgrade operation, the battle of Lake Balaton, together with units of the NOLA liberated the cities of Kumanovo, Skopje, the Kosovo Polje region...

As a result of the fighting of the Bulgarian troops, German troops lost 69 thousand military personnel killed and captured, 21 aircraft (20 aircraft were destroyed and one He-111 was captured), 75 tanks, armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles, 405 guns, 340 mortars, 1984 machine guns, 4 thousand cars and vehicles (3,724 motor vehicles, as well as tractors, motorcycles, etc.), 71 steam locomotives and 5,769 carriages, a significant amount of weapons, ammunition, equipment and military equipment.

Between the beginning of September 1944 and the end of the war, the losses of the Bulgarian army amounted to 31,910 military personnel in battles against the German army and its allies; 360 soldiers and officers of the Bulgarian army were awarded Soviet orders, 120 thousand military personnel were awarded the medal “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” .

According to official data from the Bulgarian government, direct military expenditures by Bulgaria during the period of military operations on the side of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition amounted to 95 billion leva.

1945-1990

In July 1945, the Minister of War of Bulgaria turned to the USSR with a request to provide assistance in building the country's armed forces: to send instructors to the country to train military personnel of the Bulgarian army, to provide weapons for 7 infantry divisions and 2 thousand vehicles. Ultimately, after negotiations and the signing of an agreement on military assistance, in 1946-1947. The USSR transferred to Bulgaria 398 tanks, 726 guns and mortars, 31 aircraft, 2 torpedo boats, 6 sea hunters, 1 destroyer, three small submarines, 799 vehicles, 360 motorcycles, as well as small arms, ammunition, communications equipment and fuel.

In addition, the training of Bulgarian army personnel in military educational institutions of the USSR continued - in 1947, 34 Bulgarian officers and generals studied and underwent advanced training at Soviet military academies.

After the end of the war, the international situation on Bulgaria's borders remained difficult due to the outbreak of the Cold War and the ongoing civil war in Greece. In 1947, British troops were withdrawn from Greece, but they were replaced by US troops. In addition, in accordance with the Truman Doctrine, intensive and large-scale military preparations began in Turkey and Greece in 1948, which included the formation, arming and training of the armed forces of Turkey and Greece and the movement of their armed forces in close proximity to the borders of Bulgaria . The development of the military industry began in Bulgaria, and a defensive line was built on the border with Turkey.

In May 1946, the officer organization “Tsar Krum” operating in the army, which was preparing a military coup, was exposed. After this, on July 2, 1946, the People's Assembly adopted the “Law on the Control and Leadership of Troops”, 2 thousand officers were dismissed from the army (at the same time, benefits and financial assistance were provided for retired officers).

In 1947, German-made armored vehicles were removed from service with the Bulgarian army (although some of the equipment remained in storage for some time and was used during exercises).

On May 5, 1948, the central sports club of the Bulgarian People's Army - "Septemvriysko Zname" - was created.

In 1951, the Central Directorate of Local Air Defense was created ( Central control at Mestnata Anti-Aircraft Selected) and the Defense Assistance Organization (which trained drivers, tractor drivers, motorcyclists, auto mechanics, pilots, sailors, radio operators and other technical specialists for the armed forces and the civilian sector of the country's economy).

On February 25, 1955, a military pact between Turkey and Iraq (“Baghdad Pact”) was signed in Baghdad, to which Great Britain joined on April 4, 1955, as a result of which a military bloc arose on the Bulgarian border (later became the basis of the “Central Treaty Organization” - CENTO ).

On May 14, 1955, Bulgaria entered the Warsaw Pact Organization, and in December 1955 it was admitted to the UN. The collective security system reduced the risk of a direct armed attack on the country and made it possible to reduce the number of armed forces. Between May 1955 and May 1958, the strength of the Bulgarian armed forces was reduced by 18 thousand people.

During this period, the following were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense:

In 1956, the SU-100 self-propelled artillery mounts entered service with the Bulgarian army.

In February 1958, the law “On General Military Service” was adopted, according to which the duration of military service in the army, air force and air defense was two years, and in the navy - three years. Also, in 1958, the Sports Committee of Friendly Armies was created, of which the Bulgarian armed forces became a participant.

In 1962, the border troops were transferred to the Ministry of People's Defense (but in 1972 they were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

Due to the deterioration of the military-political situation after the military coup in Greece in April 1967, from August 20 to 27, 1967, the Rhodope military exercises were held on the territory of Bulgaria, in which Bulgarian, Soviet and Romanian troops took part.

In 1968, the Bulgarian armed forces took part in Operation Danube. The operation was attended by the 12th and 22nd motorized rifle regiments (which included 2,164 military personnel at the beginning of the operation and 2,177 when leaving Czechoslovakia), as well as one Bulgarian tank battalion - 26 T-34 tanks.

Since 1990

On November 19, 1990, Bulgaria signed the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

In the 1990s, reform of the armed forces began, during which the size of the army was significantly reduced.

In the spring of 1994, the first meeting of the Bulgarian-American working group on defense issues was held in Sofia, at which it was decided to begin preparing an agreement on cooperation between the United States and Bulgaria in the military field.

In April 1994, a cooperation plan between the armed forces of Bulgaria and Austria was signed, which provided for the training of Bulgarian military personnel in Austria.

In 1994, the total number of Bulgarian armed forces was 96 thousand people, the military budget was reduced to 11 billion leva. During 1994, negative phenomena and corruption intensified in the armed forces, and the number of fatal incidents among military personnel increased.

At the end of 1996, the question of NATO membership was raised for the first time during the presidential elections (the proposal was voiced by a candidate from the United Democratic Forces of Bulgaria). On February 17, 1997, the Bulgarian parliament approved the decision to join NATO. That same year, at the Madrid NATO summit, Bulgaria (among six other candidate countries) was officially invited to join NATO. In 1999, as a candidate country, Bulgaria allowed the use of its airspace for the overflight of NATO aircraft participating in the aggression against Yugoslavia.

On December 3, 1997, Bulgaria signed a convention banning anti-personnel mines, it was ratified on September 4, 1998, after which the destruction of existing stockpiles of anti-personnel mines began.

In 1998, the Accounts Chamber of the Government of Bulgaria conducted an audit of the state of the country's strategic reserves and military warehouses in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Varna. As a result of the inspection, it was established that in the event of full mobilization of supplies, supplies for the armed forces would only last for three to four days, since the reserves of raw materials and finished products (according to documents, listed as wartime strategic reserves) were sold in violation of the law, stolen or lost under unknown circumstances.

During the same period, the reduction of weapons reserves and the rearmament of the Bulgarian army with NATO standard weapons began.

In 2003, the Bulgarian government decided to send a military contingent to Iraq, which was in the country from August 2003 to December 2005, and was returned to Iraq on February 22, 2006. In December 2008, the Bulgarian contingent was finally withdrawn from Iraq.

On March 29, 2004, Bulgaria joined NATO, and a joint operational command was created to integrate the country's armed forces into NATO.

As of 2004, the total strength of the Bulgarian armed forces was 61 thousand regular army personnel and 303 thousand reservists, another 27 thousand served in other paramilitary forces (12 thousand in the border troops, 7 thousand in the construction troops, 5 thousand - in the civil protection service, 2 thousand - in the paramilitary security of the Ministry of Transport and 1 thousand - in the state security service).

In 2004 - 2005 For the armed forces, 16 unarmored and 112 armored Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen jeeps were purchased, and at the beginning of 2006, six Mercedes-Benz Actros-1841 trucks.

On April 28, 2006, in Sofia, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which provided for the creation of US military bases on Bulgarian territory. On 26 May 2006, the Bulgarian Parliament ratified the agreement, which came into force on 12 June 2006.

In 2007, the Balkan combat group of the armed forces of the European Union countries was formed (“ Balkan Battle Group", at least 1,500 military personnel), which included units of the armed forces of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.

In November 2007, Bulgaria ordered 7 M1117 ASV armored vehicles from the United States, which were received in 2008. In addition, through the Solidarity with Coalition Forces in Iraq fund, in 2008, the United States transferred 52 HMMWV vehicles to Bulgaria with a total value of $17 million.

In 2009, a batch of Mercedes-Benz Zetros trucks was ordered for the army.

On December 29, 2010, the Bulgarian government adopted a plan for the reform and development of the armed forces for the period until 2015 (“ Plan for organizational and modernization of forces until 2015."), which provided for the continuation of military reform.

As of the beginning of 2011, the number of Bulgarian armed forces was 31,315 regular army personnel and 303 thousand reservists, another 34 thousand served in other paramilitary forces (12 thousand in the border troops, 4 thousand in the security police and 18 thousand - as part of the railway and construction troops). The armed forces were recruited by conscription.

In 2012, the number of military personnel in the Bulgarian army decreased by more than 1,500 people.

In December 2014, under the military assistance program from the United States, the Bulgarian armed forces received four small reconnaissance UAVs of the Phoenix 30 model.

On February 5, 2015, at a meeting of NATO defense ministers, a decision was made to establish a NATO rapid reaction force command center in Bulgaria. According to Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Nenchev, the center will be created in Sofia, its work will be supported by 50 employees (25 military personnel of the Bulgarian army and 25 military personnel from other NATO countries).

On 12 March 2015, Bulgarian Defense Minister N. Nenchev reported that since joining NATO in 2004 until the end of 2014, Bulgaria had participated in 21 NATO operations; Bulgaria's expenses for participation in NATO operations during this time amounted to BGN 689,177,485.

Due to the deterioration of the situation on the Bulgarian-Turkish border (an increase in the number of illegal migrants, smuggling and other violations), in 2015 the armed forces were involved in border security activities. In 2017, 240 military personnel and 70 pieces of equipment of the Bulgarian Armed Forces took part in the operation “Bringing the national natsionalnata sigurnost in peacetime.”

Distinguishing marks

Professional holidays

Notes

"Wars for the Unification of Bulgaria"
Law for the removal and reintroduction of forces into the Republic of Bulgaria(Bulgarian) . Djaven's messenger. - Law on the Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. Archived March 12, 2012.
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Bulgarian oppression // History of Bulgaria in 14 volumes. Volume six. Bulgarian resistance 1856 - 1878. Sofia, ed. on BAN, 1987. pp. 448-458
Mikhail Lisov. Museum of the unknown army of a famous country // “Equipment and weapons”, No. 11, 2010. pp. 40-44
The only Bulgarian militia // magazine "Bulgaria", No. 11, 1968. p. 27
Small arms of Bulgaria and Turkey during the First World War // “Weapons” magazine, No. 13, 2014. pp. 1-3, 46-58
History of Bulgaria in 2 vols. Volume 1. / editorial coll., P. N. Tretyakov, S. A. Nikitin, L. B. Valev. M., publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1954. pp. 474-475
N. A. Rudoy. Activities of the Red Cross during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. // journal "Problems of social hygiene, health care and history of medicine", No. 6, 2012. pp. 59-61
No. 69. Autobiography of P. Tsonchev (September 9, 1918) // Under the banner of October: a collection of documents and materials in 2 volumes. October 25 (November 7), 1917 - November 7, 1923 Volume 1. Participation of Bulgarian internationalists in the Great October Socialist Revolution and the defense of its gains / editorial team: A. D. Pedosov, K. S. Kuznetsova, L. I. Zharov, M. Dimitrov and others M., Politizdat, Sofia, BKP publishing house, 1980. pp. 194-195
Dobrev, D. From the squadron to Admiral Rozhestvensky in the Russo-Japanese War. Conversation, broadcast on Radio Sofia on May 31, 1936 - Sea Conspiracy, g. 21, book. 3–4, p. 26
Buy Bulgarian military cars // Autoclasika & Motorcycles magazine, No. 108, 2012
A. A. Ryabinin. Balkan War. St. Petersburg, 1913. // Small wars of the first half of the 20th century. Balkans. - M: ACT Publishing House LLC; St. Petersburg: Terra Fantastica, 2003. - 542, p.: ill. - (Military History Library)
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). book 3 (1800-1925). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.654
A. A. Manikovsky. Combat supply of the Russian army during the World War. M.: State Military Publishing House, 1937
Yu. A. Pisarev. Great powers and the Balkans on the eve of the First World War. M., "Science", 1985. pp.109-110
Yu. A. Pisarev. Great powers and the Balkans on the eve of the First World War. M., "Science", 1985. p.162
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.24
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.79
Bulgaria // F. Funken, L. Funken. First World War 1914-1918: Infantry - Armored vehicles - Aviation. / translated from French M., Publishing House AST LLC - Publishing House Astrel LLC, 2002. p.114-117
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.186
The First World War, 1914-1918 // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. A. M. Prokhorova. 3rd ed. T.19. M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1975. p.340-352
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). book 3 (1800-1925). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.658
M. P. Pavlovich. World War 1914-1918 and future wars. 2nd ed. M., Book House "LIBROKOM", 2012. p.115-116
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.364
Semyon Fedoseev. Schumann’s “Armored Carriage” and its successors // “Technology and Armament”, No. 2, 2014. pp. 29-36
Vladai uprising of 1918 // Civil war and military intervention in the USSR. Encyclopedia / editorial coll., ch. ed. S. S. Khromov. - 2nd ed. - M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1987. p.94
Ivan Vinarov. Soldiers of the quiet front. Sofia, “Holy”, 1989. p.20-21
Ivan Vinarov. Soldiers of the quiet front. Sofia, “Holy”, 1989. p.24-25
E. I. Timonin. Historical destinies of the Russian emigration (1920 - 1945s). Omsk, SibADI publishing house, 2000. p.53-54
Summary of information from the Vienna residency of the Foreign Department of the OGPU about the institutions created by General P. N. Wrangel in Bulgaria (message No. 753/p dated April 21, 1925) // Russian military emigration of the 20-40s of the XX century. Documents and materials. Volume 6. Fight. 1925-1927 M., 2013. pp.81-83
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). Book 4 (1925-1997). St. Petersburg - M.: Polygon; AST, 1998. p.64
V. V. Alexandrov. Recent history of European and American countries, 1918-1945. Textbook for students of history departments. - M.: Higher School, 1986. - p. 250-251.
Kaloyan Matev. The Armored Forces of the Bulgarian Army 1936-45: Operations, Vehicles, Equipment, Organization, Camouflage & Markings. Helion & Company, 2015
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). Book 4 (1925-1997). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.64
V.K. Volkov. The Munich Agreement and the Balkan countries. M., “Science”, 1978. p.75

Designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. The armed forces include:

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Separate detachments of Bulgarian volunteers appeared as part of the Russian army during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. . Even before the start of the war, Field Marshal General I. F. Paskevich suggested that Nicholas I call on the Bulgarians and Serbs to take military action against the Turkish troops, but his proposal did not meet with approval in St. Petersburg. In September 1853, a delegation from 37 parishes of Northwestern Bulgaria arrived at the Headquarters of the Russian Army, whose delegates presented the “Petition of the Bulgarians to the Russian Tsar” and reported the readiness of the Bulgarian population to assist the Russian army after its crossing of the Danube. Subsequently, after the start of the war, Bulgarian volunteers began to join the Russian army (among whom were emigrants who had lived in the Russian Empire even before the start of the war, and residents of the Danube principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, and residents of other regions of Bulgaria). After the end of the war, the Bulgarian detachments were disbanded, some of the Bulgarian volunteers remained in the Russian Empire (it is known that over 80 Bulgarian volunteers, after leaving military service, settled in the Dalnobudzhak district, another volunteer Gencho Grekov settled in the Berdyansk district, and was awarded the gold medal "For Diligence "volunteer Fyodor Velkov settled in the Tauride province), but the other part returned to their homeland.

1878-1913

The first units of the Bulgarian army were formed in 1878, with the help of Russia, from militia units that took part in the April Uprising of 1876 and the battles for the liberation of Bulgaria from Turkish troops during the war of 1877-1878.

In 1885, the first female volunteer, Yonka Marinova, was accepted into the Bulgarian army (she became the only female soldier to participate in the 1885 war).

On April 28, 1888, by order of the Minister of War, the “Military Publishing House” was created, and the publication of the official magazine of the War Ministry began (“ Military magazine»).

In December 1899, a decision was made to rearm the Bulgarian army with an 8-mm Mannlicher repeating rifle mod. 1888.

In 1890, a general headquarters was created.

In 1891, 8-mm Mannlicher repeating rifles mod. 1888/90

In 1902, the Russian-Bulgarian military convention was signed. In the fall of 1903, after the suppression of the Ilinden uprising in Macedonia by Turkish troops, the Bulgarian government increased military spending.

In 1907, the German 8-mm heavy machine gun MG.01/03 mod. was adopted by the Bulgarian army. 1904 (under the name "Maxim-Spandau").

As of 1912, the peacetime army consisted of 4,000 officers and 59,081 lower ranks - 9 divisions (each of four two-battalion regiments, which were to be reorganized into four-battalion regiments upon mobilization) and a number of individual units. In addition, it was envisaged to create reserve units (in total there were 133 thousand people, 300 guns and 72 machine guns in the reserve units) and separate militia battalions to perform security service in the rear.

After the creation of the Balkan Union in the spring of 1912, before the start of the First Balkan War, the armed forces of Bulgaria numbered 180 thousand people. During 1912, Russia supplied the Bulgarian army with 50,000 three-line rifles and 25,000 Berdan No. 2 rifles. The total cost of weapons and ammunition received by Bulgaria from the Russian Empire in the period until December 15, 1912 amounted to 224,229 rubles. In addition, the government allowed the departure of volunteers, the collection of funds and the dispatch of sanitary and medical units to Bulgaria. As a result, the Russian Red Cross sent a field military hospital with 400 beds and three field hospitals (with 100 beds each) to Bulgaria, and another four medical units (with 50 beds each) were sent to Bulgaria by the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma.

In 1912-1913, the First Balkan War took place, in which Bulgaria, in alliance with Serbia, Montenegro and Greece, fought against the Ottoman Empire. The war ended with the signing of the London Peace Treaty. Subsequently, Bulgaria participated in the Second Balkan War against its former allies in the anti-Turkish coalition.

1914-1918

By the beginning of 1915, most of the Bulgarian army soldiers wore uniforms mod. 1908 (brown), although some units had already received the new gray-green field uniform.

On September 8 (21), 1915, Bulgaria announced mobilization (lasting from 11 to September 30, 1915) and on October 15, 1915, it entered the First World War on the side of the Central Powers (after the completion of mobilization, the Bulgarian army numbered about 500 thousand people consisting of 12 divisions). The total number of people mobilized into the Bulgarian armed forces during the war was 1 million.

In February 1918, Germany practically stopped supplying weapons, equipment and uniforms to the Bulgarian army and military assistance to Bulgaria.

Austria-Hungary transferred several Schumann armored carriages to Bulgaria (in 1918, after the Entente troops went on the offensive, they were captured by the French Army of the East).

1919-1930

In accordance with the Treaty of Neuilly, signed on November 27, 1919, the strength of the Bulgarian armed forces was reduced to 33 thousand people (20 thousand military personnel of the ground forces, 3 thousand military personnel of the border troops and 10 thousand in the gendarmerie), the navy was reduced to 10 ships, recruitment of the armed forces by conscription was prohibited.

On June 14, 1920, the government of A. Stamboliskiy decided to create construction troops (which were considered as a possible organized reserve for creating units of the Bulgarian army).

Units of the Bulgarian army were used to suppress the peasant uprising on June 9-11, 1923 and the September Uprising (September 14-29, 1923).

In October 1925, in the area of the city of Petrich on the line of the Bulgarian-Greek border, a border conflict took place: after a Bulgarian border guard shot a Greek border guard on October 19, 1925, the Greek government sent an ultimatum to the Bulgarian government, and on October 22, 1925, part of the VI Greek divisions crossed the border without declaring war and occupied ten villages on Bulgarian territory (Kulata, Chuchuligovo, Marino pole, Marikostinovo, Dolno Spanchevo, Novo Khodzhovo, Piperitsa and Lehovo). Bulgaria protested; on the left bank of the Struma River, Bulgarian border guards, with the assistance of volunteers from the local population, set up defensive positions and prevented the further advance of Greek troops; units of the 7th Bulgarian Infantry Division began moving to the border. On October 29, 1925, Greek troops retreated from occupied Bulgarian territory.

In the mid-1920s. The restoration of the military industry begins:

in 1924-1927 A military plant of the Far Eastern Fleet was built in the city of Kazanlak.
in 1925-1926 The first aircraft plant, DAR, was built in Bozhurisht, where aircraft production began.

1930-1940

On July 9, 1936, the construction of a plant for the production of artillery ammunition began in the city of Sopot (the opening of the plant took place on July 12, 1940), after which the plant began production of fuses, hand grenades, as well as 22 mm, 75 mm, 105 mm and 122 -mm shells.

On July 18, 1936, Tsar Boris III signed decree No. 310 on the creation of a civil defense system to protect the population from air raids and chemical weapons.

On July 31, 1937, the Bulgarian government adopted an army rearmament program, its financing was undertaken by England and France, which provided Bulgaria with a loan of $10 million.

On May 13, 1938, in Sofia, Turkish Foreign Minister Rüşto Aras and Turkish Prime Minister Celal Bayar, on behalf of all countries of the Balkan Entente, proposed that Bulgaria conclude an agreement recognizing its equal rights in matters of weapons in exchange for a declaration of non-aggression by the Bulgarian government.

Subsequently, an increase in military spending, the size and armament of the Bulgarian army began. At the same time, the Bulgarian government began developing the military industry.

After the occupation of Norway in the spring of 1940, Germany began supplying captured weapons captured in Norway to Bulgaria.

1941-1945

In January 1941, the Germans delivered ten Stoewer R200 Spezial 40 SUVs to the Bulgarian army.

On June 25, 1941, an armored regiment was formed as part of the Bulgarian army (based on the 1st tank battalion created in 1939).

On November 25, 1941, Bulgaria joined the Anti-Comintern Pact.

At the beginning of 1943, a parachute battalion was created as part of the Bulgarian army.

On September 1, 1943, the first motorized formation was created as part of the Bulgarian army: an automobile regiment ( General Army Kamionen Regiment).

With the Eastern Front approaching the borders of Bulgaria, on September 5, 1944, the Bulgarian government declared war on Germany. As of September 5, 1944, the total strength of the Bulgarian army was 510 thousand people (5 combined arms armies, 22 divisions and 5 brigades), it was armed with 143 armored vehicles (the basis of the tank fleet was 97 German medium tanks Pz.Kpfw. IVG and Pz.Kpfw.IVH). The total number of vehicles in the troops was small, all convoys and artillery were predominantly horse-drawn, so the units and formations of the Bulgarian army were inactive.

Subsequently, on September 9, 1944, as a result of the September Revolution, the government of the Fatherland Front came to power in the country, which decided to create Bulgarian People's Army.

The Bulgarian People's Army included fighters of partisan detachments and combat groups, activists of the Resistance movement and 40 thousand volunteers. In total, by the end of the war, 450 thousand people were drafted into the new army, of which 290 thousand took part in hostilities.

Also, during this period, the Bulgarian army began to receive weapons and military equipment from the USSR.

Bulgarian troops took part in hostilities against Germany on the territory of Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria, took part in the Belgrade operation, the battle at Lake Balaton, together with units of the NOAU liberated the cities of Kumanovo, Skopje, the Kosovo Polje region...

As a result of the fighting of the Bulgarian troops, German troops lost 69 thousand military personnel killed and captured, 21 aircraft (20 aircraft were destroyed and one He-111 was captured), 75 tanks, 937 guns and mortars, 4 thousand cars and vehicles ( 3,724 cars, as well as tractors, motorcycles, etc.), 71 steam locomotives and 5,769 carriages, a significant amount of weapons, ammunition, equipment and military property.

Between the beginning of September 1944 and the end of the war, the losses of the Bulgarian army amounted to 31,910 military personnel in battles against the German army and its allies; 360 soldiers and officers of the Bulgarian army were awarded Soviet orders, 120 thousand military personnel were awarded the medal “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” .

1945-1990

After the end of the war, the international situation on the borders of Bulgaria remained difficult due to the outbreak of the Cold War and the ongoing civil war in Greece. In 1947, British troops were withdrawn from Greece, but they were replaced by US troops. In addition, in accordance with the “Truman Doctrine”, intensive and large-scale military preparations began in Turkey and Greece in 1948, which included the formation, arming and training of the armed forces of Turkey and Greece and the movement of their armed forces in the immediate vicinity of the borders of Bulgaria . The development of the military industry began in Bulgaria, and a defensive line was built on the border with Turkey.

In May 1946, the Tsar Krum officer organization operating in the army, which was preparing a military coup, was exposed. After this, on July 2, 1946, the People's Assembly adopted the “Law on the Control and Leadership of Troops”, 2 thousand officers were dismissed from the army (at the same time, benefits and financial assistance were provided for retired officers).

In 1947, German-made armored vehicles were removed from service with the Bulgarian army (although some of the equipment remained in storage for some time and was used during exercises).

In 1948, the central sports club of the Bulgarian People's Army - "Septemvrian Banner" - was created.

In May 1955, Bulgaria joined the Warsaw Pact Organization.

During this period, the following were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense:

In 1956, the SU-100 self-propelled artillery mounts entered service with the Bulgarian army.

In 1962, the border troops were transferred to the Ministry of People's Defense (but in 1972 they were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

Due to the deterioration of the military-political situation after the military coup in Greece in April 1967, from August 20 to 27, 1967, military exercises “Rhodope” were held on the territory of Bulgaria, in which Bulgarian, Soviet and Romanian troops took part.

1990s - 2000s

In the 1990s, reform of the armed forces began, during which the size of the army was significantly reduced.

In 1992-1993 Bulgaria took part in the UN peacekeeping operation in Cambodia (UNTAC). Bulgarian military personnel were part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Cambodia from May 4, 1992 to November 27, 1993; the losses of the Bulgarian UN contingent amounted to 11 military personnel killed.

In April 1994, a cooperation plan between the armed forces of Bulgaria and Austria was signed, which provided for the training of Bulgarian military personnel in Austria.

During the same period, the rearmament of the Bulgarian army with NATO standard weapons began.

In 2002, at the request of NATO, the Bulgarian government disbanded the missile units of the ground forces.

On January 21, 2002, the Bulgarian government decided to send a military contingent to Afghanistan, and on February 16, 2002, the first 32 military personnel were sent to Afghanistan. In 2003, a decision was made to increase the size of the Bulgarian contingent within ISAF and expand the tasks assigned to it. In December 2008, the size of the Bulgarian contingent in Afghanistan was 460 military personnel, and a decision was made to further increase the number of troops. As of the beginning of 2012, the size of the Bulgarian contingent in Afghanistan was 614 military personnel. Subsequently, the number of contingents was slightly reduced - to 606 people. by the beginning of August 2012. At the same time, it was announced that the withdrawal of the Bulgarian military contingent would begin in 2013 and be completed by the end of 2014. As of December 3, 2012, the strength of the contingent was 581 military personnel, as of August 1, 2013 - 416 military personnel.

In 2003, the Bulgarian government decided to send a military contingent to Iraq, and in August 2003, 485 military personnel were sent to Iraq. Under public pressure, in December 2005 (after 13 Bulgarian soldiers and 6 civilians were killed in Iraq), the Bulgarian contingent was withdrawn from Iraq, but on February 22, 2006, the Bulgarian government again decided to send 155 military personnel to Iraq. In December 2008, the Bulgarian contingent was finally withdrawn from Iraq.

In total, from August 22, 2003 to December 31, 2008, Bulgaria sent 3,367 military personnel to Iraq, the casualties of the contingent amounted to 13 military personnel killed and over 30 wounded, the cost of maintaining the contingent amounted to about 170 million leva.

On March 29, 2004, Bulgaria joined NATO.

At the beginning of 2010, 25 SandCat armored vehicles entered service with the military police.

In 2012, the number of military personnel in the Bulgarian army decreased by more than 1,500 people.

Distinguishing marks

Professional holidays

Notes

"Wars for the Unification of Bulgaria"
V. Gomelsky. Military Police Service of the Republic of Bulgaria // “Foreign Military Review”, No. 10 (787), October 2012. pp. 49-52
Law for select and bring force to the Republic Bulgaria(Bulgarian) . Dzhaven messenger. - Law on the Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. Archived March 12, 2012.
E. V. Belova. Balkan volunteers in the Russian army 1853 - 1856. // "Military Historical Journal", No. 9, 2006. pp.55-59
Bulgarian oppression // History of Bulgaria in 14 volumes. Volume six. Bulgarian resistance 1856 - 1878. Sofia, ed. on BAN, 1987. pp. 448-458
Mikhail Lisov. Museum of the unknown army of a famous country // “Equipment and weapons”, No. 11, 2010. pp. 40-44
The only Bulgarian militia // magazine "Bulgaria", No. 11, 1968. p. 27
Small arms of Bulgaria and Turkey during the First World War // “Weapons” magazine, No. 13, 2014. pp. 1-3, 46-58
History of Bulgaria in 2 vols. Volume 1. / editorial coll., P. N. Tretyakov, S. A. Nikitin, L. B. Valev. M., publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1954. pp. 474-475
N. A. Rudoy. Activities of the Red Cross during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. // journal "Problems of social hygiene, health care and history of medicine", No. 6, 2012. pp. 59-61
No. 69. Autobiography of P. Tsonchev (September 9, 1918) // Under the banner of October: a collection of documents and materials in 2 volumes. October 25 (November 7), 1917 - November 7, 1923 Volume 1. Participation of Bulgarian internationalists in the Great October Socialist Revolution and the defense of its gains / editorial team: A. D. Pedosov, K. S. Kuznetsova, L. I. Zharov, M. Dimitrov and others M., Politizdat, Sofia, BKP publishing house, 1980. pp. 194-195
Dobrev, D. From the squadron to Admiral Rozhestvensky in the Russo-Japanese War. Conversation, broadcast on Radio Sofia on May 31, 1936 - Sea Conspiracy, g. 21, book. 3–4, p. 26
A. A. Ryabinin. Balkan war. St. Petersburg, 1913. // Small wars of the first half of the 20th century. Balkans. - M: ACT Publishing House LLC; St. Petersburg: Terra Fantastica, 2003. - 542, p.: ill. - (Military History Library)
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). book 3 (1800-1925). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.654
A. A. Manikovsky. Combat supply of the Russian army during the World War. M.: State Military Publishing House, 1937
Yu. A. Pisarev. Great powers and the Balkans on the eve of the First World War. M., "Science", 1985. pp.109-110
Yu. A. Pisarev. Great powers and the Balkans on the eve of the First World War. M., "Science", 1985. p.162
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.24
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.79
Bulgaria // F. Funken, L. Funken. First World War 1914-1918: Infantry - Armored vehicles - Aviation. / translated from French M., AST Publishing House LLC - Astrel Publishing House LLC, 2002. pp. 114-117
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.186
The First World War, 1914-1918 // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. A. M. Prokhorova. 3rd ed. T.19. M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1975. p.340-352
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). book 3 (1800-1925). SPb., M., “Poligon - AST”, 1998. p.658
M. P. Pavlovich. World War 1914-1918 and future wars. 2nd ed. M., Book House "LIBROKOM", 2012. p.115-116
Behind the Balkan fronts of the First World War / resp. ed. V. N. Vinogradov. M., publishing house "Indrik", 2002. p.364
Semyon Fedoseev. Schumann’s “Armored Carriage” and its successors // “Technology and Armament”, No. 2, 2014. pp. 29-36
Vladai uprising of 1918 // Civil war and military intervention in the USSR. Encyclopedia / editorial coll., ch. ed. S. S. Khromov. - 2nd ed. - M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1987. p.94
Ivan Vinarov. Soldiers of the quiet front. Sofia, “Holy”, 1989. p.20-21
Ivan Vinarov. Soldiers of the quiet front. Sofia, “Holy”, 1989. p.24-25
E. I. Timonin. Historical destinies of the Russian emigration (1920 - 1945s). Omsk, SibADI publishing house, 2000. p.53-54
Summary of information from the Vienna residency of the Foreign Department of the OGPU about the institutions created by General P. N. Wrangel in Bulgaria (message No. 753/p dated April 21, 1925) // Russian military emigration of the 20-40s of the XX century. Documents and materials. Volume 6. Fight. 1925-1927 M., 2013. pp.81-83
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). Book 4 (1925-1997). St. Petersburg - M.: Polygon; AST, 1998. p.64
V. V. Alexandrov. Recent history of European and American countries, 1918-1945. Textbook for students of history departments. - M.: Higher School, 1986. - p. 250-251.
Kaloyan Matev. The Armored Forces of the Bulgarian Army 1936-45: Operations, Vehicles, Equipment, Organization, Camouflage & Markings. Helion & Company, 2015
N. Thomas, K. Mikulan. Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941 - 45. London, Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1995. page 46
official website of Vazovsky machine-building plant
R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). Book 4 (1925-1997). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.64
V.K. Volkov. The Munich Agreement and the Balkan countries. M., “Science”, 1978. p.75
Liberation mission of the Soviet armed forces in the Balkans / resp. ed. d. ist. n. A. G. Khorkov. M., “Science”, 1989. p.37
V.K. Volkov. The Munich Agreement and the Balkan countries. M., “Science”, 1978. p.79
V.K. Volkov. The Munich Agreement and the Balkan countries. M., “Science”, 1978. p.114-115
M. Kozyrev, V. Kozyrev. Axis aviation in World War II. M., JSC "Tsentrpoligraf", 2007. p.383
A. I. Kharuk. Strike aircraft of the Second World War - attack aircraft, bombers, torpedo bombers. M., “Yauza” - EKSMO, 2012. p.323
Bulgaria // Andrew Mollo. Armed forces of World War II. Structure. A uniform. Insignia. Complete illustrated encyclopedia. M., EKSMO, 2004. p.215
M. Kozyrev, V. Kozyrev. Axis aviation in World War II. M., JSC "Tsentrpoligraf", 2007. p.386
M. B. Baryatinsky. Light tanks of the Second World War. M., “Collection” - “Yauza”, 2007. p.146
A. I. Kharuk. Strike aircraft of the Second World War - attack aircraft, bombers, torpedo bombers. M., “Yauza” - EKSMO, 2012. p.170-172
Bulgaria // Andrew Mollo. Armed forces of World War II. Structure. A uniform. Insignia. Complete illustrated encyclopedia. M., EKSMO, 2004. p.216
« Germany sold to Bulgaria on favorable terms weapons captured in France, Norway and other occupied countries»
History of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941-1945 (in six volumes). / editorial coll., P. N. Pospelov and others, volume 1. M., Voenizdat, 1960. p. 305
M. B. Baryatinsky. Light tanks of the Second World War. M., “Collection” - “Yauza”, 2007. p.128
A. A. Bystrov. Tanks, 1916-1945: an illustrated encyclopedia. Krasnoyarsk, BONUS; M., OLMA-Press, 2002. p.169
The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th edition. Macropaedia. Vol.29. Chicago, 1994. p.995
A. I. Kharuk. Strike aircraft of the Second World War - attack aircraft, bombers, torpedo bombers. M., “Yauza” - EKSMO, 2012. p.76-79

Armed forces of the world

Bulgarian Armed Forces

During the Cold War, the Bulgarian Armed Forces were quite large, although more archaic, than the armies of the GDR, Poland and Czechoslovakia. At the beginning of the 90s, they included 2,145 tanks, 2,204 armored fighting vehicles, 2,116 artillery systems, 243 combat aircraft, and 44 attack helicopters.

Since 2004, Bulgaria has been a member of NATO. Like all European armies, it underwent significant reductions, with virtually no renewal. Equipment produced during the Soviet period (in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria itself) is very outdated, purchases of Western equipment are sporadic, and they are not always new.

Ground troops structurally consist of three brigades, a brigade command and four separate regiments. These are two mechanized brigades (2nd (Stara Zagora), 61st (Karlovo)), brigade command (Blagoevgrad) and 68th special forces brigade (Plovdiv), 4th artillery regiment (Asenovgrad), 55th engineering regiment (Belene), 101st Mountain Infantry Regiment (Smolyan), 110th Transport Regiment (Plovdiv). The 68th Special Forces Brigade is currently directly subordinate to the command of the Armed Forces, essentially being a separate branch of the military.

Bulgaria is the only NATO country that has retained tactical missiles in service. These are 18 launchers of the Tochka TR and 36 missile launchers for them. Also, 8 Oka TR launchers, 44 OTR R-17 launchers, 34 Luna TR launchers are in storage, but the missiles for them were destroyed under pressure from Washington, which is very wary of the spread of missile technology.

Mechanized brigades have 80 T-72M2 tanks. In addition, another 234 T-72 of various modifications are in storage.

The BRMs are represented by 50 BRDM-2s, and up to 150 more extremely outdated BRDM-1s may be in storage. There are 104 BMP-23, up to 10 BMP-30, 94 BMP-1. In service there are up to 320 BTR-60 (up to 430 more, possibly in storage, including KShM), up to 1000 MTLB, 17 American M1117 and 30 M113A1.

There are 48 2S1 self-propelled guns (122 mm) in service, with at least 10 more in storage. Towed guns – 106 D-20 (152 mm), up to 32 M-30 (up to 140 more in storage) (122 mm). Mortars - several hundred 82 mm, up to 356 self-propelled 2S12 (on the MTLB chassis) and up to 100 M-43 (120 mm). MLRS – up to 180 BM-21 (122 mm).

ATGM – more than 300 “Konkurs”, 200 “Malyutka”, 222 “Fagot”, more than 500 “Sturm”, more than 50 “Metis”. Anti-tank guns - 16 BS-3 and 200 MT-12 (100 mm); also 68 self-propelled SU-100 and 150 towed D-44 (85 mm) are in storage.

Military air defense includes 10 batteries (40 launchers) of the Kvadrat air defense system, 9 batteries (27 launchers) of the Krug air defense system, 24 Osa air defense systems, 20 Strela-10 air defense systems; Also, 50 Strela-1 air defense systems are in storage. There are more than 100 MANPADS "Strela-2", "Strela-3", "Igla-1". Anti-aircraft artillery - 27 ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" (13 more in storage), 100 ZSU-57-2 (all in storage), up to 300 ZU-23, 16 S-60.

In addition to the listed equipment, there are also up to 113 T-72 tanks in storage, as well as up to 250 light PT-76, up to 15 BMP-1, up to 38 BTR-60 (and up to 44 KShM based on it), up to 70 BTR-50, 27 BTR-70, up to 230 M-30 guns, up to 48 ML-20. This equipment is not listed on the balance sheet of the country's armed forces and is used as a source of spare parts and for sale abroad. In addition, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina regularly resell the same outdated Soviet equipment through Bulgaria. In particular, it is Bulgaria that is the main source of weapons for all opposition groups in Syria, including radical Islamists, incl. Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic Caliphate.

Air Force have 5 air bases: 3rd (Graf-Ignatiyevo; it includes all MiG-29 fighters), forward-based airbase (Bezmer; equipped with Su-25K attack aircraft), 16th transport (Vrazhdebna), training (Dolna Mitropolia ) and 24th (Krumovo). There is also an air defense base (Sofia).

Strike aviation consists of 15 Su-25 attack aircraft (including 4 combat training Su-25UB; up to 10 more in storage); In addition, up to 7 obsolete Su-22s (up to 5 M4, up to 2 UM3) are in storage.

Fighter aviation consists of 9 MiG-29 fighters (including 2 combat training MiG-29UB; another 10 MiG-29 (including 1 UB) are in storage). In addition, up to 24 MiG-23 aircraft (up to 10 BN bombers, up to 1 MF fighter, up to 3 small aircraft, up to 2 MLD, up to 8 combat training UB) and up to 85 MiG-21 (up to 33 bis, up to 9 UM and up to 3 US, up to 6 F-13, up to 6 PF, up to 28 PFM), but it is unlikely that at least one of them, like the Su-22, can be returned to service.

The Air Force has 1 An-30 optical reconnaissance aircraft.

Transport aircraft - 3 Italian C-27J, 1 An-2, 1 Swiss RS-12M, 1 American Falcon-2000, 1 European A319, 1 Czech L-410UVP (6 more in storage); also 1 Tu-154, 5 An-26 are in storage.

Training aircraft - 6 Czech L-39ZA (another 13 to 16 in storage), 6 Swiss PC-9M.

Combat helicopters - 4 Mi-24V (another 10 to 13 Mi-24D, 2 Mi-24V are in storage). Transport and multi-purpose helicopters - 3 Mi-17 (8-11 more in storage), 2-3 Mi-8 (up to 6 more in storage), 6 Bell 206, 12 AS532AL. The border guard has 3 A-109 and 1 AW-139 helicopters.

Bulgaria has a fairly strong, albeit outdated, ground-based air defense. It consists of 3-5 divisions of S-75M3 air defense systems (18-30 launchers), 9-10 divisions of S-125 (36-40 launchers), 2 divisions of S-200 air defense systems (12 launchers), 1-2 divisions of S-200 air defense systems 300PS (from 4 to 12 PU).

Navy include 3 divisions and a detachment, consisting of warships and boats, they are stationed at two bases.

1st Division of Patrol Ships (Varna) - 1 Soviet-built frigate, Project 1159, 2 corvettes, also Soviet-built, Project 1241P.

4th division of patrol ships (Atiya) - 3 Belgian frigates of the Wielingen type, 1 Soviet missile boat pr. 1241.

Detachment of mine-anti-mine ships (Varna) - 1 Belgian minesweeper of the Tripartit type, 6 Soviet minesweepers pr. 1259.2 (all in reserve).

6th mine action division (Atiya) - 2-3 Soviet minesweepers pr. 1265.

In storage there may be up to 5 missile boats of Project 205, up to 4 minesweepers of Project 257 and up to 4 of Project 1258, and a landing ship of Project 773. But, most likely, all of them have already been disposed of.

Naval aviation includes 2 French AS565 helicopters. 6 Soviet Mi-14 amphibious helicopters are in storage.

After the end of the war, the first Soviet T-34 tanks were delivered to the Bulgarian army. At the beginning of 1946, the First Tank Brigade was armed with 49 CV 33/35, PzKpfw 35 (t), PzKpfw 38 (t), R-35 vehicles; 57 Pz.IV G,H,J vehicles; 15 Jagdpanzer IV, five StuG 40.

German tank Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. G "Panther" in the Bulgarian troops (I don’t know how the Bulgarians got it). The soldiers are wearing characteristic Italian-style Bulgarian bustins, and the officer (standing under the gun, akimbo) has an equally characteristic Bulgarian cap. This photograph can even be dated back to 1945-1946 (it all depends on how long after the end of the war the Bulgarians retained German equipment in service). At the end of the 1940s, the Bulgarian army (like the armies of other countries of the socialist camp) was dressed in Soviet-style uniforms.

Immediately after the end of the war, the completely worn-out Italian CV 33/35 wedges and the French Renault R35 light tanks were written off, the Czechoslovak LT vz.35/T-11 and LT vz.38 lasted until the early 50s, so the last order for spare parts for Škoda received them in 1948.

By 1950, only 11 Pz.IV tanks remained in the 1st Tank Brigade, and the main part consisted of 65 T-34s received back in 1945. Then 75 German tanks and assault guns were used as pillboxes on the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

The buried tanks were all but forgotten when, in December 2007, Bulgarian police arrested thieves who stole a rare tank model and tried to take it to Germany.

In total, the Bulgarians managed to restore 55 units of German equipment, which they put up for auction in May 2008. The price of each tank was several million euros, and a collector from Russia who wished to remain anonymous offered to buy a German Panzer IV tank for $3.2 million.

The total number of T-34-85s in the Bulgarian army is estimated at 398 units, apparently taking into account 120 tanks built in Czechoslovakia and transferred in 1952-1954. After the start of deliveries of T-55 tanks, the obsolete “thirty-fours” were partially dismantled. The turrets from them, like the turrets of the German Pz.III and Pz.IV tanks, were used in the construction of fortifications on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. It is indicated that during the crisis in Cyprus of 1974, about 100-170 such tower installations were delivered to the second line of defense.

In total in 1946-1947. The USSR transferred to Bulgaria 398 tanks, 726 guns and mortars, 31 aircraft, 2 torpedo boats, 6 sea hunters, 1 destroyer, three small submarines, 799 vehicles, 360 motorcycles, as well as small arms, ammunition, communications equipment and fuel

T-34-85 served in Bulgaria for quite a long time, so in 1968, during the entry of Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia, a tank battalion of 26 T-34-85 was part of a group of Bulgarian troops.

Bulgarian T-34-85 during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968

The T-34-85 was finally withdrawn from service in 1992-1995.

T-34-85 at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

In 1947, SU-76M self-propelled guns were delivered to Bulgaria, which served until 1956.

SU-76M at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

It should be noted that Bulgaria was considered the most reliable ally of the USSR and occupied a special place in the Warsaw Pact Organization. There were no Soviet troops in Bulgaria, and it had its own tasks. In case of war, Bulgaria had to act independently on the southern flank against Turkey and Greece.

In 1955, the first BTR-40 armored personnel carriers entered service with the Bulgarian army; a total of 150 units were delivered until 1957

In 1956, 100 units of SU-100 anti-tank self-propelled guns were delivered to Bulgaria.

SU-100 at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

From the mid-50s, Soviet T-54 tanks began to be supplied to Bulgaria, and from 1960, T-55 tanks, which became the main tanks of the Bulgarian People's Army (BNA).

T-55 at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

In total, 1800 T-54/T-55 units were delivered to Bulgaria from the USSR, of which 1145 were T-55. All of them were written off in 2004-2009.

T-55AM (Bulgarian designation M 1983) (in service since 1985) at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

Since 1957, wheeled BTR-152 armored personnel carriers have been supplied to Bulgaria, but I was unable to find out in what quantity.

Bulgarian BTR-152 during joint Bulgarian-Soviet exercises held in May 1967 on Bulgarian territory

KShM BTR-152U in the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

From 1960 to 1963 Tracked BTR-50s were supplied to Bulgaria, a total of 700 units were delivered. Currently withdrawn from service.

command post vehicle BTR-50PU in the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

Between 1965 and 1967, 150 BRDM-1 reconnaissance and patrol vehicles were delivered to Bulgaria.

BRDM-1 reconnaissance unit of the Bulgarian contingent during the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968

BRDM-1 during the ceremonial meeting of the Bulgarian troops returning from Czechoslovakia

Then, in 1962, they were replaced by BRDM-2; a total of 420 BRDM-1/2 were delivered to Bulgaria. In addition, BRDM-2s of the former National People's Army of the GDR were distributed between Poland and Bulgaria.

BRDM-2 at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

The Bulgarian army is still in service with 12 BRDM-2 (another 50 units in warehouses), which were in service with the Bulgarian contingent in Iraq.

unloading of the BRDM-2 of the Bulgarian contingent at the port of Umm Qasr, in Iraq

Self-propelled ATGM 9P133 with ATGM "Konkurs" based on BRDM-2 were also supplied to Bulgaria, 24 of them are still in service with the Bulgarian army

Since 1962, Soviet armored personnel carriers BTR-60 began to be supplied to Bulgaria, which became the main vehicle of the Bulgarian infantry. Deliveries continued until 1972, with a total of about 700 vehicles delivered. The first modification to be delivered was the BTR-60P with an open top hull.

BTR-60P at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

It was followed by the BTR-60PA - a modification with a completely enclosed sealed body. On this armored personnel carrier, Bulgarian military personnel participated in the entry of troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968.

BTR-60PA during the ceremonial meeting of the Bulgarian troops returning from Czechoslovakia

This was followed by a modification of the BTR-60PB with reinforced armament from a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7.62 mm PKT in the turret, which became the main Bulgarian armored personnel carrier for many years.

BTR-60PB of the Bulgarian contingent also took part in the Czechoslovak events.

BTR-60PB of the Bulgarian contingent during the events in Czechoslovakia in 1968

100-150 BTR-60PB are still in service with the Bulgarian army (another 100 to 600 are in reserve). About 30 were modernized by Bulgarian specialists. The combat vehicle's engine and transmission compartment is being completely redesigned. At the customer's request, a Russian engine produced by the Kama Automobile Plant can be installed there. This armored personnel carrier is designated BTR-60PB MD3. There is also an option with a CUMMINS engine. It is already called the BTR 60 PB-MD1. There are 8 smoke grenade launchers installed on the machine gun turret. Instead of the old sight, a more modern one with improved characteristics is installed. For ease of entry and exit of troops, doors are cut into the sides.

Since the beginning of the 70s, infantry fighting vehicles - BMP-1 - have been supplied to Bulgaria, a total of 560 units were delivered, incl. 100 BMP-1P with a more powerful 9K111 "Fagot" ATGM launcher, and six 902V "smoke screen" sets, were received from Russia in 1996. Currently, the Bulgarian army has 20-75 BMP-1P in service (another 80 -100 in reserve).

BMP-1P of the Bulgarian army at the parade in Sofia

Unlike other allies of the USSR, who went straight from the T-54/55 to the T-72, the Bulgarians from 1970 to 1974. 250 T-62s with a powerful 115 mm gun were delivered.

When the T-62s were withdrawn from service in the 90s and some of the tanks were converted into armored repair and recovery vehicles, they received the designation TV-62. The turrets were removed from the tanks, and in their place, turrets shortened by half from the T-55 and T-55A with the DShKM anti-aircraft machine gun were welded back to front. The vehicles also received winches, and equipment for underwater driving was left on them.

Another interesting example is the transformation of the T-62 into a fire tank. This option was first shown in 2008. A 10-ton tank and a remote-controlled water supply, as well as a bulldozer blade, were mounted on the tank chassis.

Since 1972, in Bulgaria, at the BETA engineering plant (now Beta Industry Corp. JSC) in Cherven Bryag, the production of the MT-LB light armored tractor was established. Production continued until 1995. According to some reports, a total of 2350 MT-LB were produced. For the most part, they are practically no different from the original. But still, some of the cars were produced with their own modifications, which added even more variety to the wide range of the family.

MT-LB at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

Also, the following vehicles based on MT-LB were developed in Bulgaria
- MT-LB AT-I - tracked minelayer
- MT-LB MRHR - radiochemical reconnaissance vehicle
- MT-LB SE - combat medical vehicle
- MT-LB TMH - self-propelled mortar with 82-mm M-37M mortar
- SMM B1.10 "Tundzha" - Bulgarian version with a 120-mm mortar mod. 1943, developed in 1981 under the leadership of chief designer Georgi Imsheriev.
- SMM 74 B1.10 "Tundzha-Sani" - Bulgarian version, developed in 1981 under the leadership of chief designer Georgi Imsheriev, distinguished by the use of the 2B11 mortar from the 2S12 "Sani" mortar complex as the main weapon. 50 units of 2S11 were produced under Soviet license between 1986 and 1987. In total, the Bulgarian army currently has 212 Tundzha self-propelled mortars in service.

May 6, 2006. Bulgarian self-propelled mortar "Tundzha" at the military parade in honor of St. George's Day

KShM-R-81 "Dolphin" - command and staff vehicle
R-80 - ground artillery reconnaissance station
Bulgarian MT-LBs were actively exported. Thus, in the eighties, 800 Bulgarian-made MT-LB vehicles were delivered to Iraq.
Currently, the Bulgarian army has 100-150 (from 600 to 800 in reserve) light armored MT-LB tractors left in service.

Since 1979, the 122-mm self-propelled howitzer 2S1 "Gvozdika" based on the MT-LB began to be produced in Bulgaria. Bulgarian-made 2S1 self-propelled guns entered service with the Soviet army and, apart from poorer workmanship, were no different from the Soviet 2S1 model. A total of 506 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers were produced in Bulgaria, and together with Soviet supplies their number amounted to 686 units.

self-propelled howitzer 2S1 "Gvozdika" in the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

48 2S1 "Gvozdika" are still in service with the Bulgarian army (another 150 are in reserve)

May 6, 2006. 2S1 "Gvozdika" at the military parade in honor of St. George's Day in Sofia

The armament of the BMP-1, which consisted of a 73-mm cannon, machine guns and anti-tank missiles, in some cases did not meet the requirements of the time, so it was decided to develop a new infantry fighting vehicle based on the MT-LB, which became the only independently developed Bulgarian combat vehicle. The created BMP received the designation BMP-23 and was first shown at the parade in 1984. The BMP-23 is significantly different from the BMP-1 and is more similar to the BMP-2. The BMP body is welded, sealed, allowing you to overcome water obstacles by swimming without additional training. The control compartment is located in the front part, and the transmission units are located in front of it. Behind the control compartment behind a sealed partition there is an engine compartment isolated from other rooms. In the middle part there is a combat compartment, and in the stern there is a troop compartment. The Gvozdika is a larger vehicle than the BMP-1, and therefore it is not as cramped inside as the BMP-1. As on the self-propelled guns, the control compartment is located across the entire width of the hull, so the seats of the driver and one of the shooters are not behind each other, but, respectively, on the left and right. Both places are equipped with hatches and surveillance devices. For the driver, the front periscope can be replaced with a passive night vision device. The welded two-man turret houses a 23 mm automatic cannon, based on the ballistics of the ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun. The gun has a two-plane stabilizer, the ammunition load is 450 rounds (according to other sources - 600 rounds), loaded into belts. The gun is paired with a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun, for which 2,000 rounds of ammunition are stored in the fighting compartment. On the roof of the turret there is a launcher for the 9M14M Malyutka ATGM with semi-automatic wire guidance. The hull is based on the body of the 2S1 Gvozdika vehicle, but with thicker armor and a more powerful diesel engine. Cast steel armor that can withstand heavy machine gun fire.

The modernized version of the BMP with smoke grenade launchers on the sides of the turret and the replacement of the ATGM with the 9M111 "Fagot" received the designation BMP-23A.

On the basis of the BMP-23, the BRM-23 "Owl" combat reconnaissance vehicle was created, with additional surveillance equipment and a crew of five people.

BRM-23 has three versions:
"Sova-1" - with R-130M radio station and telescopic mast
"Sova-2" - with radio station R-143
"Sova-3" - from the 1RL133 ground reconnaissance radar of the PSNR-5 "Credo" portable surveillance and reconnaissance station.

A further development of the BMP-23 was the BMP-30 variant, which differed in the installation of a turret from the Soviet BMP-2 with a 30-mm 2A42 cannon and a 9M111 "Fagot" ATGM.

A total of 115 BMP-23 were produced, of which about 100 are in service with the Bulgarian army. The BMP-23, like the BRDM-2, was also in service with the Bulgarian military contingent in Iraq.

In 1989, 20 152-mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers were delivered to Bulgaria.

2S3 "Akatsiya" in the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

In 1978, the first T-72 tanks arrived in Bulgaria from the USSR.

T-72 at the Bulgarian National Military Museum in Sofia

In 1992, Bulgaria had 334 T-72s; in 1999, 100 T-72A and T-72AKs were purchased from Russia, stored on Bulgarian territory since Soviet times. Currently, 160 T-72s remain in service with the Bulgarian army (another 150-250 are in warehouses).

Bulgarian T-72 tanks during exercises

Thus, on November 19, 1990, i.e. at the time of the signing of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in Paris, the BNA was armed with: 2,145 tanks (for comparison, Turkey - 2,795, Greece - 1,735), 2,204 armored fighting vehicles, 2,116 artillery systems of 100 mm caliber and more, 243 combat aircraft, 44 attack helicopters. The same agreement established the following quota for Bulgaria: 1,475 tanks, 2,000 armored fighting vehicles, 1,750 artillery systems of 100 mm caliber or more, 235 combat aircraft, 67 attack helicopters. On February 25, 1991, the military structures of the Warsaw Pact Organization were abolished, and then in December 1991, the USSR collapsed.

When the Bulgarian rulers came to power, the first thing they did was sell the weapons and military equipment they had inherited at dumping prices. Thus, in 1993, Bulgaria exported 29 BMP-1 and 24 T-62 tanks to Angola, then in 1999, 18 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers. In 1992, 210 Tundzha self-propelled mortars were delivered to Syria. In 1998, 150 T-55 tanks were delivered to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which took part in battles with Albanian gangs in 2001, in 1999, 12 MT-LB and 9 Strela-10 air defense systems. In 1998, the Ethiopians purchased 140 T-55s from the Bulgarians. In 1999, 20 Tundja self-propelled mortars were delivered to Latvia worldwide. In September 2010, Cambodia received a large batch of armored vehicles purchased from Bulgaria, including 50 T-55 tanks (re-exported from Serbia), 40 BTR-60PB armored personnel carriers and 4 BRDM -2 from the presence of the Bulgarian army. On May 31, 2012, a contract was signed for the supply of 500 MT-LB armored tractors to the Iraqi armed forces.

Thus, today the Bulgarian army is armed with 160 T-72s, the number of which is planned to be reduced to 120; about 200 BMP-1 and BMP-23, of which they plan to keep half; 100-150 BTR-60PB and BTR-60PB-MD-1, 12 BRDM-2, 100-150 MT-LB.
However, new NATO allies came to the rescue for the Bulgarian military contingent in Afghanistan; 17 M-1117 wheeled armored personnel carriers and 50 Hummers were supplied from the United States.

For the Israeli military police, 25 Caracal armored vehicles.

And that’s all, although I think over time NATO will hand the Bulgarians their decommissioned weapons. Well, as they say: "We'll see..."

Based on materials from sites:
http://alternathistory.org.ua
http://477768.livejournal.com
http://www.tankfront.ru/index.html
http://www.prowars.ru/ALL_OUT/TiVOut9801/BolPz/BolPz001.htm
http://www.militarists.ru