Second patrol vessel for Bulgaria enters production
A rendering of the Bulgarian MMPV based on the OPV-90 design. (Image: NVL Group)
The steel-cutting marks a traditional milestone in the building of a new ship.
Last week, NVL Group and its local partner MTG Dolphin began production of the second modular multipurpose patrol vessel (MMPV) for the Bulgarian Navy.
NVL Group is managing the production of two MMPVs for Bulgaria at the MTG Dolphin yard in Varna.
The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in Q3 of 2025, and the second will follow a year later, in 2026.
Related Articles
Keel laid for first Bulgarian Navy MMPV at MTG Dolphin
Bulgarian Navy Commander RAdm Kiril Mihaylov said: ‘This ship will give the opportunity to Bulgarian naval sailors to fulfil all tasks for defending national maritime interests and to successfully participate in allied operations and missions.‘
Based on the Lürssen OPV-90 design, the two vessels under the project will measure 90m long and displace 2,300t.
Shephard Defence Insight estimates the cost of each ship to be $236.5 million.
The MMPVs will replace obsolescent ex-Soviet vessels, including two Pauk II-class (Project 1241PE) anti-submarine corvettes and one Tarantul III-class (Project 1241.1M) corvette.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessels (MMPV) (1-2) [Bulgaria]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Second Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship is on schedule to be launched mid-2026]()
Second Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship is on schedule to be launched mid-2026
While the first Joint Support Ship is currently in the final stages of outfitting, the second one is on schedule for launching next year.
-
![Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?]()
Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?
South Korean shipbuilders are beginning to make their mark beyond Asia, competing for major North American and European submarine programmes and becoming serious contenders on a global scale.
-
![AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official]()
AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official
Few concrete ideas have emerged so far on which “advanced capabilities” will be brought forward under Pillar 2 of the AUKUS partnership, but the Pentagon’s review of the programme could bring more clarity.
