Bulgaria has approved the acquisition of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defence System as part of efforts to strengthen maritime security along its Black Sea coastline. The decision was cleared by the country’s Council of Ministers and marks a significant step in Sofia’s ongoing military modernization program.
The procurement will be carried out through a foreign military sales (FMS) agreement with the United States, a framework Bulgaria has previously used to acquire major defense assets such as F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft and Stryker armored vehicles. The US State Department has already authorized a potential FMS package valued at approximately $620 million, covering the NSM Coastal Defence System, related ammunition, and missile transport and loading vehicles.
Parliamentary documents indicate that the project is structured around two main contracts, including an estimated $205 million for the missile coastal defense system itself and roughly $3 million for the associated command-and-control infrastructure. However, the inclusion of missile ammunition in the final contracts has not yet been formally confirmed.
The acquisition is funded entirely through national resources under Bulgaria’s Armed Forces Investment Programme and the Defence Capabilities Development Programme 2032. Once fielded, Bulgaria will join Romania as a regional operator of the NSM Coastal Defence System. Developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway, the system integrates advanced fire control, mobile launchers, and maritime surveillance radar, with missiles capable of striking maritime and land targets at ranges beyond 100 nautical miles.
