site.btaMine Counter-measures Task Group Black Sea Could Be Operational in April/May - Chief of Defence

The Mine Counter-measures Task Group Black Sea, established by an agreement between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye earlier in January, could become operational in April or May, the Bulgarian Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, said in Varna on Monday. He said that the teams’ readiness is not a concern since the three countries have long been working on joint exercises. Eftimov recalled that Turkiye has to ratify the agreement in order for the Task Group to become operational.

Admiral Eftimov was in Varna together with Defence Minister Todor Tagarev and the Bulgarian Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, to attend the opening of a Sea Survival Centre at the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy.

After the opening, Tagarev told reporters that the Task Group will be open to participation by other NATO allies. Ships will not be used, because the operation will be carried out in accordance with the Montreux Convention. He noted that the formation of the Group will help reduce shipping risks. The Minister added that the Group’s command will be on a rotational basis.

Rear Admiral Mihaylov pointed out that the Navy has not worked on a real alert about floating sea mines for a year. “Alerts have been received, but none of them have been real. We have not received any signals since the beginning of this year,” he added.

Admiral Eftimov also said that one of the priorities that is currently being worked on is the modernization of the Naval Base in Varna. He added that the military port has not been renovated for decades, and it is necessary to create conditions for new Navy ships. “There is already a project for the modernization of the Base and it is currently being coordinated with various institutions,” Eftimov noted.

Commenting on the new vehicles for the Land Forces, Tagarev said that there is a timetable for the financing of this project and Bulgaria has made the first contribution. He recalled that all payments under the project should be completed in 2027 and the vehicles will be delivered in mid-2028.

Tagarev added that the scale of the upcoming NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise will be very large and that it will involve the deployment of troops from North America to Europe. The scenario envisages defensive actions in the northern part of NATO's eastern flank, and no foreign troops are currently expected to be present on Bulgarian territory and to conduct active actions, the Minister explained. He said Bulgaria would participate with officers at NATO headquarters and computer assistance.

In Tagarev's words, the presence of Bulgarian troops in the anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden is not envisaged. "What is being discussed is our country having officers at the operation's headquarters who will not be present on the ground," he said.