List of modern equipment of the Bulgarian land forces

This is a list of some of the equipment currently in use by the Bulgarian land forces.

Small arms

Sidearms

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Makarov pistol		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Handgun	9×18mm	Local production And Standard Issue To Army. Copy pistols were produced since 1960. Arsenal 10 produced them between 1970 and 2007. Can be recognised through "((10))" arsenal markings, straight hammer serrations, slim star grip shells.[1]
SIG Pro		Germany	Handgun	9×19mm Parabellum	Used by Bulgarian Military Police
Arcus 98DA		Belgium  Bulgaria	Handgun	9×19mm Parabellum

Assault rifles

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
AK-47		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Produced locally and in reserve.[2]
AKM		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Produced locally and in reserve.[1][3]
AR-M1		Bulgaria	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Standard issue infantry rifle of the Bulgarian Army and (variation of AK-74) and AKS-74U are manufactured locally.[4]
AR-M4SF		Bulgaria	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm	Carbine rifle by Arsenal JSCo (Special Forces)
Heckler & Koch G36		Germany	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Standard assault rifle of Military Police
Steyr AUG		Austria	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Special forces only. In limited use with the SOBT

Submachine guns

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Arsenal Shipka		Bulgaria	Submachine gun	9×18mm Makarov 9×19mm Parabellum	Standard issue submachine gun of army.
Heckler & Koch MP5		West Germany	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum	Used by Bulgarian Special Forces and Military Police.
FB PM-63		Poland	Submachine gun	9×18mm Makarov	Used by Bulgarian Special Forces.
AKS-74U		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Personal defense weapon	5.45×39mm	Used by Bulgarian Military police

Sniper rifles

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Dragunov sniper rifle		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Semi-automatic sniper rifle, designated marksman rifle	7.62×54mmR	Local production[1]
Heckler & Koch PSG1		Germany	Semi-automatic sniper rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	PSG-1A1 variates and used by Military Police of Bulgarian Army.
Heckler & Koch MSG90		Germany	Sniper rifle	7.62×51mm NATO
Blaser R93 Tactical		Germany	Sniper rifle	5.56×45mm
Barrett M82		United States	Anti-materiel rifle	.50 BMG	Used by Bulgarian Special Forces

Machine guns

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
RPK		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon	7.62×39mm M43	Produced by Arsenal as the LMG in three different calibers, 7.62×39mm, 5.45×39mm and 5.56×45mm NATO. A folding stock variant is known as the LMG-F.[1][5][6][7]
PK machine gun		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Universal machine gun	7.62×54mmR	Used by Special forces and Regular units, Produced locally. PK/PKM copies were produced as the MG-1 & MG-1M.[1][8]
NSV machine gun		Bulgaria	Heavy machine gun	12.7×108mm	Standard issue heavy machine gun of the Bulgarian Army and Produced by Arsenal [9]

AT weapons

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
RPG-22		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	LAW	HEAT with penetration of 400 mm versus RHA	Bulgarian Army, local production at VMZ Sopot.[10]
RPG-7		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Rocket-propelled grenade launcher	40 mm	Produced locally by Arsenal Corporation as ATGL-L.[11]
SPG-9		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun	73 mm (2.87 in) smoothbore[12]	SPG-9DNM (local production)

Mortars

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
M6-211 Mortar		Bulgaria	Light mortar	60mm	Produced locally
M8 Mortar		Bulgaria	Medium mortar	81mm	Produced locally
M82		Soviet Union	Medium mortar	82mm	[13]
2S12 Sani		Soviet Union	Heavy mortar	120mm	[13]

Other small arms

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
FN 303		United States	Semi-automatic less-lethal riot gun	17.3 mm (0.68 in)	In use with the Land Forces and the Military Police.[14]
GP-25		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Grenade launcher	40mm caseless grenade	Made under license by Arsenal AD as the UBGL[15] and the UBGL-1.[16]
UBGL-M6		Bulgaria	Grenade launcher	40mm caseless grenade	Underbarrel grenade launcher by Arsenal JSCo.
UBGL-M7		Bulgaria	Grenade launcher	40mm caseless grenade	Underbarrel grenade launcher by Arsenal JSCo.
AGS-30		Bulgaria	Automatic grenade launcher	35mm grenade	30×25mm grenade launchers, AGS-17 derivate by Arsenal JSCo
Mk 19 grenade launcher		United States	Automatic grenade launcher	40 mm grenade

Anti-tank guided missiles

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
AT-2 Swatter		Soviet Union	Anti-tank missile	HEAT	In reserve.
AT-3 Sagger		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Anti-tank missile	HEAT	Produced locally and in reserve.
AT-4 Spigot		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Anti-tank missile	High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead	Produced locally.
AT-5 Spandrel		Soviet Union	Anti-tank missile	9N131 HEAT	Produced locally
AT-6 Spiral		Soviet Union	Anti-tank missile	HEAT shaped charge
AT-7 Saxhorn		Soviet Union	Anti-tank missile	HEAT shaped charge
AT-12 Swinger		Soviet Union	Laser beam-riding anti-tank missile	100 mm projectile

Man-portable air defense systems

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
SA-7 Grail		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Man portable surface-to-air missile launcher	1.15 kg directed-energy blast fragmentation warhead (Strela-2M), 370 g HE content	Produced locally and in reserve.
SA-14 Gremlin		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Man-portable air-defense systems	1.15 kg directed-energy blast fragmentation warhead (Strela-2M), 370 g HE content	Produced locally and in reserve.
SA-16 Gimlet		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Man-portable air-defense systems	1.17 kg (2.6 lb) with 390 g (14 oz) explosive	Produced locally
SA-18 Grouse		Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Man-portable air-defense systems	1.17 kg (2.6 lb) with 390 g (14 oz) explosive	Produced locally

Armoured vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Armoured fighting vehicles
T-72A/M2	Soviet Union  Bulgaria[17]	Main battle tank	160[13]		240 in reserve Indigenous tank design, based on the Russian T-72M1.[17][13]
BMP-23/30	Bulgaria	Infantry fighting vehicle	100[13]		Locally designed infantry fighting vehicle with a 23-mm automatic cannon, 9K111 Fagot anti-tank guided missile launchers with a total of six missiles and an SA-7 Grail MANPADS.
BMP-1P	Soviet Union	Infantry fighting vehicle	75[13]		Soviet tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle with a 73-mm smoothbore gun.
BTR-60PB	Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Armoured personnel carrier	100[13]		~30 are modernised to the BTR-60PB-MD1 standards
MT-LB / MT-LBu	Soviet Union  Bulgaria	Armoured personnel carrier	100[13]		600 in reserve. Light multi-purpose vehicle; mostly used as an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC)
BRDM-2	Soviet Union	Scout car	74[13]		Armoured scout car
9P148 "Konkurs"	Soviet Union	Anti-tank vehicle	24		Anti-tank vehicle based around the BRDM-2 with five AT-5 Spandrel missiles
M1117	United States	Patrol vehicle	17[13]		4x4 multi-purpose armoured patrol vehicle; 6 deployed in Afghanistan
UAZ-469	Soviet Union	Patrol vehicle	Unknown		Off-road military light utility vehicle
Plasan Sand Cat	Israel	Patrol vehicle	25[18]		4x4 armoured patrol vehicle used by the Military Police service
HMMWV	United States	Multi-purpose vehicle	52[13]		Deployed in Afghanistan
Mercedes-Benz G-Class	Germany	Armoured jeep	300[13]		A contract has been signed with Germany to raise the number up to 300.4x4 armoured G 280 CDi and non-armoured G 270 CDi jeep; partially armed with locally produced PKM machine guns
International MaxxPro	United States	Armored fighting vehicle	4[13]		Deployed in Afghanistan
Mercedes-Benz Zetros	Germany	Off-road truck for extreme operations	335[13]		As of 2012, it operates 335 trucks with 30 more on order.
Tatra 815	Czechoslovakia	Truck	Unknown

Following 2016 most of this equipment has been sold as scrap and has been cut and destroyed.

Artillery and air defense

Name	Origin	Type	Number	Photo	Notes
Artillery
MT-12	Soviet Union	Anti-tank gun	200		100-mm anti-tank gun, now used mostly as conventional HE artillery
D-20	Soviet Union	Howitzer	150		152-mm towed howitzer; principal heavy artillery piece of the Bulgarian Army
2S1 Gvozdika	Soviet Union	Self-propelled howitzer	506[13]		122-mm self-propelled howitzer; produced locally as Karamfil;
BM-21	Soviet Union	Multiple rocket launcher	192[13]		122-mm multiple-launch rocket system; 200 in reserve.
SS-21 Scarab-A	Soviet Union	Tactical ballistic missile	8		The only remaining ballistic missile system from the now-disbanded Rocket Forces; 8 TELs and a classified quantity of missiles are in service
Air defense
ZU-23-2	Soviet Union	AA gun	128		Most ZU-23-2s in Bulgarian service are mounted on ZIL-131 trucks.
SA-7	Soviet Union	Man-portable Surface-to-air missile system	~200[13]
SA-8 Gecko	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	24[13]		Highly mobile short-range SAM system with 15 km range
SA-13 Gopher	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	20		Short-range battlefield SAM system with 5 km range
S-300	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	10[13]		Ten S-300 launchers, divided into two units with five launchers each.
2K12 Kub	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	20[13]		Mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defense system designed to protect ground forces from air attack.
9K31 Strela-1	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	0[13]		phased out.
S-200	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	10[13]
S-125 Neva/Pechora	Soviet Union	Surface-to-air missile system	32[13]

Recently retired equipment

• PT-76 amphibious tanks (250)
• T-62 tanks (250, sold to Ethiopia, Yemen and Angola)
• TV-62
• TV-62M
• T-55AM2 tanks (1,400 kept in storage in the province of Montana)
• T-34 tanks (177, some sold to Mali and other African countries; 42 kept in storage near the village of Ohrid, Bulgaria; some are used as anti-tank weapons targets; the rest of the tanks were scrapped)
• BRDM-1
• BTR-152
• BTR-40
• BTR-50PU
• SS-23 (8 launchers + 24 missiles, destroyed)
• FROG-7 (24 launchers + dozens of missiles, destroyed)
• Scud-B (36 launchers + dozens of missiles, destroyed)
• AT-1 Snapper ATGMs
• BM-13 Multiple rocket launchers

See also

• Defense industry of Bulgaria
• Military of Bulgaria

References

1. Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
2. Richard D. Jones; Leland S. Ness, eds. (27 January 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009–2010 (35 ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
3. Personal infantry weapons: old weapons or new hardware in the coming decades? – Free Online Library. Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-20.
4. "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's - IHS". Retrieved 16 November 2014.
5. "Arsenal's LMG Page, 7.62 x 39 mm". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2002-11-11. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
6. "Arsenal's LMG Page, 5.56 x 45 mm". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2003-02-25. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
7. "Arsenal's LMG Page, 5.45 x 39 mm". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2002-11-11. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
8. "G3 Defence Magazine August 2010". calameo.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
9. "12,7 mm Arsenal Multi-purpose Machine Gun MG-U". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
10. "RPG-22 NETTO". VMZ Sopot Official Website. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
11. ATGL-L anti-tank grenade launcher Archived 2010-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, arsenal.bg
12. OPFOR Worldwide Equipment Guide, TRADOC DCSINT Threat Support Directorate, January 21, 1999
13. "Bulgarian Defense Information". European Defense Information. Armed Forces.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
14. Армията се въоръжи и с газови пистолети Archived 2006-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, Segabg, 30 June 2006
15. Arsenal Corporation. "Arsenal 40 mm Underbarrel Grenade Launcher UBGL". Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
16. Arsenal Corporation. "Arsenal 40 mm Underbarrel Grenade Launcher UBGL-1". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
17. "Bulgarian Military". Mediafire.com. 2013-11-17. Retrieved 2014-12-09.

External links

• or The download link(s) to details of Bulgaria's military equipment, including the reserve as of 2013. Note: some of the reserve items are not listed on this page, such as the 430 T55's in reserve status.