site.btaNavy Commander: New Ships Needed

Rousse, on the Danube, August 5 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Navy needs two or three new multifunctional ships but cannot afford them now, the Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Dimiter Denev, said here on Tuesday.

Those ships are needed because the Russian-designed ships are outdated and incompatible with NATO standards, said Denev. The new ships should be multifunctional - to provide defence, to protect ships, oil platforms and convoys, and to carry helicopters. The ships must be made in Bulgaria to avoid paying money abroad. This will be better for their maintenance over a longer period.

Rear Admiral Denev said that submarines are also needed. The Navy would be much more effective if it used the four Bulgarian submarines which are out of operation now. Currently training is provided on Turkish submarines.