site.btaNavy Commander: Special Forces Training Is Excellent

The preparation of the naval Special Forces is excellent, according to Commander of the Naval Forces Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, who spoke at a demonstration by the Bulgarian “seals” on Friday at the Chayka Naval Air Base near Varna. The squad is to be certified within the framework of the Breeze 2023 exercise with international participation, which ends on October 22.

According to Mihaylov, the results of the assessment of the Special Forces' combat capabilities will become clear in the near future, but what they have shown is at an excellent level. The Rear Admiral added that unfortunately some of the necessary equipment of the squad is still missing, but more importantly, the people are motivated and prepared.

The threats in the Black Sea are real, but the Navy's ships continue their training and continue to ensure the safety of navigation in Bulgarian waters, Mihaylov said. He added that the war in Ukraine has shown that mines, despite being one of the oldest weapons, have not yet lost their importance. For this reason, the Navy in recent years has been developing specialized mine countermeasures capabilities with modern ships, mine hunters, and remotely operated vehicles. The Navy plans to increase its capabilities because the mine threat will not disappear even when the war is over, Mihaylov said.