Bulgaria approves Naval Strike Missile buy amid Black Sea buildup

WARSAW, Poland — In a bid to bolster the country’s Black Sea coast defense capabilities, the Bulgarian government has approved a project to purchase the Naval Strike Missile coastal defense system for the nation’s military.

The procurement, which is to be carried out as a government-to-government deal with the United States, is estimated to be worth around $205 million, according to the country’s outgoing Defense Minister Atanas Zaprianov.

Following the Cabinet’s decision, the acquisition of anti-ship missiles developed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace will now be submitted for clearance by the National Assembly, Bulgaria’s unicameral parliament. Zaprianov said that payments for the missiles are expected to be concentrated in the years 2029 to 2030, local news outlet Novinite - Sofia News Agency reported.

The caretaker government which approved the program is fulfilling its responsibilities until a new Cabinet is formed following a snap election anticipated for this spring. At the same time, given Bulgaria’s broad political consensus on the planned procurement, the parliament vote is expected to be a formality.

Last July, the U.S. State Department approved the foreign military sale of the Naval Strike Missile system and related gear for an estimated cost of $620 million. The authorized package includes missiles in several variants, mobile fire control centers with associated communications equipment, launch and transport vehicles, Link-16 multifunctional information distribution systems – joint tactical radio systems (MIDS-JTRS), as well as related training and spare parts assistance.

Amid Russia’s increasingly belligerent activities in the Black Sea, Bulgaria is set to join its neighbor Romania which has also purchased Naval Strike Missiles for its armed forces. The weapon is a sea-skimming, over-the-horizon missile enabled with a range that exceeds 185 kilometers (115 miles), according to data from Kongsberg.