Bulgaria is integrating its national defence industry into the development of mobile air-defence capabilities, potentially enhancing the country’s ability to counter aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems.

 

On September 16, 2026, Bulgaria’s state-owned TEREM-HOLDING and Czech defence manufacturer SVOS signed a memorandum on strategic industrial cooperation. The agreement covers cooperation in the production, integration and subsequent maintenance of mobile air-defence systems. The memorandum was signed in Sofia during the Bulgarian-Czech Business Forum in the presence of the prime ministers of Bulgaria and Czechia.

A key area of cooperation is the MSHORAD short-range mobile air-defence system, based on the MARS S-330 armoured platform. Its configuration includes Sweden’s RBS 70 NG missile system, the Giraffe 1X radar and a command-and-control element. The system is designed to provide a mobile layer of air defence capable of protecting military units and critical assets against a range of aerial threats, including small unmanned aerial vehicles.

From a military perspective, the significance of the agreement goes beyond the potential acquisition of new equipment. TEREM-HOLDING is expected to participate as a subcontractor in the production of selected MSHORAD components, equipment integration and parts of the final assembly process, while also providing technical maintenance and repair services in Bulgaria. This could contribute to the gradual development of national expertise in mobile air-defence technologies.

The selection of the MARS platform for the integration of the RBS 70 NG is also significant. The Czech Ministry of Defence has already contracted the acquisition of 24 MARS vehicles equipped with RBS 70 NG missile systems, while negotiations concerning similar systems for other NATO members are underway. Bulgaria therefore has an opportunity to become part of an emerging European defence-industrial cooperation network.

For Sofia, the initiative is particularly relevant given the changing nature of aerial threats. The widespread use of relatively inexpensive drones alongside more conventional air-attack systems is increasing the requirements placed on modern air-defence networks. Short-range mobile systems can provide close protection for military formations, industrial facilities, critical infrastructure and other high-value assets, complementing longer-range air-defence systems.

The partnership also forms part of broader Bulgarian-Czech defence-industrial cooperation. During the same forum, other defence-related agreements were signed, including an arrangement between AERO Vodochody and Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence concerning joint testing and certification of weapons for the L-39 Skyfox aircraft.

At the same time, the memorandum does not automatically constitute a contract for the delivery of MSHORAD systems to the Bulgarian Armed Forces. At this stage, the agreement establishes an industrial framework for potential production, integration and maintenance of such systems. Nevertheless, the cooperation model could allow Bulgaria to combine access to modern Western technologies with the development of domestic repair, integration and manufacturing capabilities.

 

In the broader strategic context, the agreement reflects Sofia’s efforts to strengthen European defence-industrial cooperation and national air-defence capabilities. For Bulgaria, located on NATO’s eastern flank and bordering the Black Sea, the development of mobile short-range air-defence systems is becoming increasingly relevant as the role of unmanned systems grows and the regional air-security environment becomes more complex.

#BULGARIA

#MILITARY REVIEW

#CZECHIA

22.09.2026 06:17