| Bulgarian Navy | |
|---|---|
| Военноморски сили на Република България Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya | |
 Ensign of the Bulgarian Navy | |
| Founded | 13 January 1899 (125 years, 9 months) |
| Country |  Bulgaria |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 4,450 active personnel[1] |
| Part of | Bulgarian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Varna Atia |
| Anniversaries | 9 August |
| Engagements | First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I World War II 2011 military intervention in Libya[2][3][4] |
| Website | navy |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Navy |  Rear Admiral Kyril Yordanov Mikhailov |
| Insignia | |
| Naval ensign | |
| Naval jack |  |
| Coast guard ensign |  |
The Bulgarian Navy (Bulgarian: Военноморски сили на Република България, romanized: Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya, lit. 'Naval Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria') is the navy of the Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.
The Principality of Bulgaria established its navy soon after its creation, in 1879, to operate on the Danube river and the Black Sea, but the young country could spend only limited resources on warships. In the conflicts of the 20th century in which Bulgaria was involved - the Balkan Wars, World War I and World War II, the navy played a limited role, mainly protecting Bulgarian harbors and shipping. Its greatest combat feat was a successful torpedo attack against an Ottoman cruiser during the First Balkan War that nevertheless didn't sink it.
In the aftermath of World War II, the People's Republic of Bulgaria was a part of the Eastern Bloc and the navy was reorganized and supplied with Soviet-made equipment. It participated in various Warsaw Pact naval exercises, but took no part in any military operations. The navy reached its peak, in both materiel and personnel, in the late 1980s, but even then its most powerful ships were frigates and destroyers.
After the fall of the Soviet Union and Bulgaria's communist regime, all Bulgarian armed forces fell in decline due to their reduced relevance, and the economic crisis of the 1990s limited the resources that could be set aside for their modernization. The Navy was no exception. After a period of negotiations and reforms in order to comply with NATO standards, Bulgaria was admitted in the alliance in 2004. Since then, the Navy has acquired and operates a small number of relatively modern vessels.
Since the 1940s, the Bulgarian Navy has two main bases, each near one of the two major commercial port cities in the country - Varna and Burgas (by the village of Atia).
- ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. p. 77. ISBN 9781032508955.
- ^ Машева, Гергана (21 March 2011). "Пращаме "Дръзки" да патрулира край Либия". Dir.bg. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ "Bulgaria's Drazki Frigate Ready to Set Sail for Libya". Standart. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ "Bulgarian Frigate on Its Way to Libyan Coast". The Sofia Echo. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011.