European shipyards battle it out for Bulgarian OPV contract
Bulgaria continues the effort to procure two multirole OPVs in an attempt to keep its legacy fleet operational and up to NATO standards.
It is now understood that six European shipyards have expressed interest in the repeated tender. These include Germany’s Lürssen and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), French Naval Group, Dutch Damen, Italian Fincantieri, Spanish Navantia and Bulgarian MTG Dolphin.
First, Fincantieri confirmed receiving the RfP from Varna.
‘The company is interested in following every possible development of its business. With specific regard to the Bulgarian procurement, we only can confirm that we received the [RfP]’, said a company spokesperson.
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats]()
How Canada is preparing the future River-class destroyers to endure uncrewed threats
Designed in 2019, Canada's new River-class destroyers are planned to be handed over by the 2050s. The long procurement timeline has cast doubt on whether the platforms will be obsolete for tomorrow’s warfare.
-
![Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy]()
Latest Russian subsea standoff puts pressure on the UK’s seabed defence strategy
UK defence secretary John Healey’s exposure of a covert Russian deep-sea operation against undersea infrastructure in the Atlantic validates the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion concept but lays bare a capacity gap that autonomous systems, allied integration and sustained investment must close.
-
![Could the USCG icebreaker requirement open the door for more inland shipbuilding?]()
Could the USCG icebreaker requirement open the door for more inland shipbuilding?
The formation of a Great Lakes shipbuilding alliance could prompt a shift in how the US approaches naval and coast guard construction. But can distributed inland shipyards ease the country’s shipbuilding capacity?
