Bulgarian Navy

Bulgarian Navy Военноморски сили на Република България Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya
Ensign of the Bulgarian Navy
Active	13 January 1899–present
Country	Bulgaria
Branch	Bulgarian Armed Forces
Type	Navy
Size	4,100 personnel (2009)
Part of	Ministry of Defence
Garrison/HQ	Varna Atia
Anniversaries	9 August
Engagements	First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I World War II
Commanders
Current commander	Rear Admiral Rumen Nikolov
Insignia
Naval Ensign
Naval Jack
Coastguard Ensign

Bulgarian Navy during World War II
Part of Black Sea campaigns (1941-44)
Bulgarian sailors aboard torpedo boat Drazki
Date 1941 - 1944 Location Bulgarian Black Sea coast Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Bulgaria Romania	Soviet Union
Casualties and losses
Bulgaria: 1 torpedo boat sunk 1 steamer sunk Romania: 1 auxiliary minelayer sunk	5 submarines sunk

The Bulgarian Navy (Bulgarian: Военноморски сили на Република България, Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya) is the navy of the Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It has been largely overlooked in the reforms that Bulgaria had to go through in order to comply with NATO standards, mostly because of the great expense involved and the fact that naval assaults are not considered to be a great concern for the country's security. That is why three of the four Romeo-class submarines (excluding Slava) are now docked and have been out of operation for some time. The last one was decommissioned in November 2011. Only the more modern frigates, corvettes and missile crafts are on active duty.

In order to meet some of the NATO requirements, the Bulgarian government purchased a Wielingen-class frigate from Belgium in 2005. BNS Wandelaar (F-912), built in 1977, was renamed BG Drazki. That same year the Bulgarian ship Smeli took part as a full NATO member for the first time in NATO OAE (Operation Active Endeavour). In 2006, following a decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly, Drazki deployed as part of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), patrolling the territorial waters of Lebanon under German command. This was the first time the Bulgarian Navy took part in an international peacekeeping operation. The Bulgarian government purchased two Wielingen-class frigates and one Tripartite-class minehunter in 2007.

The Bulgarian Navy is centred in two main bases. One is near the city of Varna. The other is Atiya Naval Base, near the city of Burgas.

The Bulgarian Navy's first combat action was the 1912 Battle of Kaliakra during the First Balkan War, when the Bulgarian torpedo boat Drazki attacked and crippled an Ottoman cruiser.