Bulgaria Ratifies Transfer of Seven Belgian and Dutch Minehunters
Sofia covers refurbishment costs and will train Ukrainian minehunter crews
Bulgaria's parliament has ratified agreements covering the acquisition of seven minehunters from Belgium and the Netherlands, adding mine countermeasures capability in the Black Sea.
The parliamentary defence committee approved at first reading, by a vote of 16 to one, a bill ratifying a sales agreement between the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and the Netherlands for the purchase of three Tripartite-class minehunters. The three vessels are the former HNLMS Zierikzee, HNLMS Willemstad and HNLMS Schiedam.
The committee also approved ratification of a memorandum of understanding between Bulgaria, Belgium and the Netherlands covering the transfer of Tripartite, Flower and Alkmaar-class minehunters.
Under that memorandum Bulgaria is responsible for the cost of refurbishment and restoration work on all seven vessels, bringing them to NATO operational readiness standards. Sofia is also responsible for training Ukrainian minehunter crews.
The first minehunter from Belgium is expected to arrive between September and October 2026.
The transfers respond to a concrete navigational problem. Drifting and moored mines have been a persistent hazard in the Black Sea since 2022, affecting commercial traffic as well as naval operations, and mine countermeasures capacity among the littoral NATO states has been limited.
The Tripartite class was built as a joint Belgian, Dutch and French programme from the late 1970s, with glass-reinforced plastic hulls chosen for their low magnetic signature. The type has been progressively retired from Belgian and Dutch service as replacement vessels enter the fleets, which is what makes the hulls available for transfer.
The Ukrainian crew training element extends the arrangement beyond Bulgarian national capability, tying the transfer to the broader effort to keep Black Sea shipping lanes usable.
