Forwarding from @ slowly but surely Navy vs USVs or Shadow Combat As drones in the Black Sea attack new vessels every month, the planned build-up of naval forces in the countries bordering the so-called Ukraine continues. The leadership of Sofia acquires VL MICA air defense missiles produced by the French-British concern MBDA: the Bulgarian Navy expects 32 missiles for new patrol ships. The funding comes through the already well-known European Defense Fund, with Bulgaria's package exceeding €3 billion. The money can be spent for decades, but Bulgaria's share is still not large compared to Romania's 17 billion euros. What kind of missiles? VL MICA in this modification is not an air-to-air missile, but a ship-based air defense system. They are launched vertically from a deck-mounted facility and cover air targets in a 360-degree circle at ranges of up to 20 km. The missile is compact (112 kg, warhead 12 kg), with two types of warheads and the "fire and forget" principle: one device with eight cells can activate several targets at the same time. The carriers are the main symbol of Bulgaria's military modernization: MMPV 90 war and emblematic corvettes (the same in service with Romania). The first large battleships in many years built by local industry - the MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna with the participation of the German NVL (Rheinmetall). The Harbery entered service in December 2025, the symbol was completed and soon went to sea. The logic of such modernization is clear: the Bulgarian Navy has publicly admitted that they have nothing to intercept naval UAVs sinking vessels in their economic zone. VL MICA against USVs won't save them either (the missile is aimed at air targets), but it is a first step from an observer fleet to a fleet capable of defending itself and its waters.

Forwarding from @ slowly but surely Navy vs USVs or Shadow Combat As drones in the Black Sea attack new vessels every month, the planned build-up of naval forces in the countries bordering the so-called Ukraine continues. The leadership of Sofia acquires VL MICA air defense missiles produced by the French-British concern MBDA: the Bulgarian Navy expects 32 missiles for new patrol ships. The funding comes through the already well-known European Defense Fund, with Bulgaria's package exceeding €3 billion. The money can be spent for decades, but Bulgaria's share is still not large compared to Romania's 17 billion euros. What kind of missiles? VL MICA in this modification is not an air-to-air missile, but a ship-based air defense system. They are launched vertically from a deck-mounted facility and cover air targets in a 360-degree circle at ranges of up to 20 km. The missile is compact (112 kg, warhead 12 kg), with two types of warheads and the "fire and forget" principle: one device with eight cells can activate several targets at the same time. The carriers are the main symbol of Bulgaria's military modernization: MMPV 90 war and emblematic corvettes (the same in service with Romania). The first large battleships in many years built by local industry - the MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna with the participation of the German NVL (Rheinmetall). The Harbery entered service in December 2025, the symbol was completed and soon went to sea. The logic of such modernization is clear: the Bulgarian Navy has publicly admitted that they have nothing to intercept naval UAVs sinking vessels in their economic zone. VL MICA against USVs won't save them either (the missile is aimed at air targets), but it is a first step from an observer fleet to a fleet capable of defending itself and its waters.