Bulgaria prepares joint counter-drone procurement with Spain

On 11 November 2026, the Council of Ministers approved the signing of a memorandum between the defence ministries of Bulgaria and Spain on the joint acquisition of counter-drone systems, BTA reported. The decision begins preparations for the procurement, but does not mean that a supply contract has been signed or that the systems have entered service.

Up to 20 systems planned, but no final order yet

The memorandum provides for up to 10 mobile and up to 10 containerised systems. These quantities are the upper limit of the planned acquisition, not a final order for a total of 20 systems. OFFNews also reported the same details of the government decision.

The project is part of the National Investment Plan for the European Defence Industry under SAFE. The Security Action for Europe mechanism is an EU instrument offering loans on favourable terms for joint purchases of defence equipment.

Spain will lead the procurement. The next steps announced are approval of the investment expenditure project by the National Assembly and Bulgaria’s accession to the lead nation’s contract. According to the government press service, quoted by BurgasMedia, the memorandum is intended to accelerate the project and improve the armed forces’ capabilities against the threat from unmanned aircraft. This is the stated aim of the decision, not a result already achieved.

System models and operating methods have not been announced

The specific models, manufacturers and acquisition cost have not yet been announced. Spain’s role as lead nation does not in itself mean that a Spanish manufacturer will be selected.

The terms “mobile” and “containerised” describe the configuration, but do not indicate how the systems will detect and neutralise drones. They imply neither that the mobile variant will provide protection on the move nor that the containerised variant will be stationary. Nor can the number of systems be equated with the number of sites that can be protected simultaneously.

The technical requirements and contract terms will be decisive in assessing the future capabilities: which targets the systems will engage, what coverage they will provide and how they will be accepted following trials. Further information on the project may become available as the process advances.