Defense industry of Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a NATO member country with a large indigenous defence industry. Most of its weaponry is of Soviet design, but with significantly improved performance. Bulgaria is ranked as a "medium" small arms exporter according to the Small Arms Survey.[1]

History

Despite having local arms factories, until 1944 Bulgaria relied mostly on imports to equip its military. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian defence industry was capable of producing training and light attack aircraft, such as the DAR-10 and Laz-7. After the installment of a Communist government the same year, the country started a process of massive industrialization, but continued to import equipment. By the 1980s a large part of the equipment came from local suppliers. In the late 1980s exports reached about $800 mln. annually, trade partners being mostly Egypt, Algeria, Angola, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Cuba and Vietnam.

Manufacturers

Products

Small arms

Artillery

Air defence equipment

Anti-tank weapons

Armored vehicles

A Bulgarian-made MT-LB used by the USMC

Missiles and rockets

Ammunition

Other

Customers

References

  1. Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security (PDF). Oxford University Press. 2011. p. 3.
  2. "ARSENAL Home Page". Arsenal.bg. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  3. "ТЕРЕМ - Българските военноремонтни заводи". Terem.bg. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  4. "VMZ Co". Vmz.bg. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  5. "Samel 90". Samel 90. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  6. http://apolo.bg
  7. 1 2 ""Ер Франс" закарала БГ картечници в Конго". trud.bg. Retrieved 2011-08-08.

External links

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