The year 2025 is proving pivotal for the modernization of the Bulgarian army (see the highlighted section at the end), but the upgrades won't come only from Western weapons. Recently, the army has acquired its own drones for reconnaissance and mapping, developed by Bulgarian specialists. Commissioned through a public contract by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), a consortium of the technology companies Telesys and Kontrax has manufactured and delivered two unmanned aerial systems. Each system includes three aircraft and a ground control station. The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth just under 9 million levs (excluding VAT) with the consortium "Bulgarian Unmanned Aerial Systems" in early July 2023 for the provision of drones. The agreement has a two-year implementation period.
Each of the unmanned aerial vehicles weighs around 50 kg and can reach an altitude of up to 4,500 meters. Capable of flying for up to 10 hours without refueling, the drones are used for reconnaissance, identifying targets, and assessing impact. Moreover, one drone from each trio is additionally equipped with a high-tech radar for ground surface monitoring.
"The Land Forces will use it to detect targets that are visually and thermally camouflaged - in other words, the radar can spot targets that aren't visible to the naked eye," Stoyan Avramov, partner and managing director of Plovdiv-based Telesis, told Capital.
The drones are based on a previous development by the company, while Kontrax, mainly specializing in integrated technology solutions, provided some of the equipment and brought in its experience with public procurement. The two companies initially competed separately in a prior tender that was terminated without a winner being selected. They then decided to join forces by applying together. And they won - according to Avramov, their consortium was the only bidder offering to manufacture the future systems entirely in Bulgaria. The other participants came from Israel, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and even Ukraine.
Reconnaissance Aircraft
The six unmanned aerial vehicles were developed using the earlier "Teres-02" model by Telesis as a foundation. The current version uses components made in various countries, such as Israel, the Czech Republic, and the US. Avramov explains that they chose suppliers based on two main factors: they had to meet the technical requirements, and they had to offer the lowest price, since cost was the sole criterion in the tender process. Nikolay Yordanov, managing director of Kontrax, adds that "although it wasn't explicitly stated in the technical specifications, the system contains no components from countries that are outside NATO's partnership framework," citing the absence of Chinese parts as an example.
The owner of Telesis explains: "We can't afford to develop completely proprietary software for everything, but we've modified open-source code. A large part of the integration involved precisely adapting publicly available software, which is now 'tuned' to integrate all the components we've used." In fact, some of the component suppliers have expressed interest in receiving the integrated version of their products within the full system.
Avramov says this kind of system has never been built before because the client asked for a very specific setup. He even admits it "lacks much internal logic" due to the combination of so many different elements. On the other hand, Yordanov believes that "the system has very high technical capabilities, which makes sense," given how rarely such systems are ordered. Still, he agrees that it would be beneficial for future MoD requirements to be more optimized and narrower in technical scope.
The drones are already available to the army and will be used for reconnaissance, target designation, and battle damage assessment. Their main task will be to detect various targets and then help adjust the fire of conventional military systems. Therefore, one of the key requirements for the aerial system developed by the joint venture was compatibility with NATO systems. The platforms from both systems will also be able to perform damage assessment, or in other words, evaluate the effectiveness of a strike.
Although it's not their primary function, the drones will also be capable of aerial photogrammetry. This means they can be used for aerial photography and mapping of large areas of the territory they fly over. The consortium declined to disclose which specific military unit has received and will operate the drones.
Aviation Theory
Such high-tech systems need proper handling. For this reason, the consortium organized a two-month training program in basic aviation and piloting theory for around 30 to 40 military personnel who will be operating the drones. The Technical University was brought in to assist. Engineer Khristian Panayotov from its branch in Plovdiv explained to Capital that a specialized unit of the university participated in the training process as a subcontractor under the contract. Located in Sofia, this unit is certified by the Civil Aviation Administration to carry out such activities.
An internationally recognized curriculum was implemented, and upon completion of the training -conducted by the so-called Higher School of Aviation - a special certificate is awarded. The training will also include a practical component. During the two-year warranty period of the two unmanned systems, the consortium of Telesys and Kontrax will provide ongoing support to the military for their operation.
For the first time since the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria will be equipped with modern combat hardware. By the end of the year, all eight F-16 fighter jets from the first batch of U.S.-made aircraft will have arrived in the country, with the first one already delivered in early April. In addition, Bulgaria is set to receive its first NATO modular patrol vessel this year, along with more than 30 American Stryker combat vehicles. In this way, all three types of armed forces will begin to become interoperable with NATO allied armies not only in terms of structure and doctrine.
The year 2025 is proving pivotal for the modernization of the Bulgarian army (see the highlighted section at the end), but the upgrades won't come only from Western weapons. Recently, the army has acquired its own drones for reconnaissance and mapping, developed by Bulgarian specialists. Commissioned through a public contract by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), a consortium of the technology companies Telesys and Kontrax has manufactured and delivered two unmanned aerial systems. Each system includes three aircraft and a ground control station. The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth just under 9 million levs (excluding VAT) with the consortium "Bulgarian Unmanned Aerial Systems" in early July 2023 for the provision of drones. The agreement has a two-year implementation period.
Each of the unmanned aerial vehicles weighs around 50 kg and can reach an altitude of up to 4,500 meters. Capable of flying for up to 10 hours without refueling, the drones are used for reconnaissance, identifying targets, and assessing impact. Moreover, one drone from each trio is additionally equipped with a high-tech radar for ground surface monitoring.
