Belgium has handed minehunter BNS Bellis to the Bulgarian Navy, the first of seven Belgian and Dutch ships Sofia is taking on to clear Black Sea mines.
Bellis is the first of four Belgian minehunters going to Bulgaria under a trilateral memorandum of understanding between Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria that covers seven vessels in total, the Belgian Ministry of Defense said. Representatives of the three countries attended the handover, the country said.
The ministry described mine countermeasures as essential in the Black Sea region for regional stability and NATO security. Bulgaria has also committed to support the training of Ukrainian crews who operate ships of the same class.
“By transferring the ship to Bulgaria, a proven capability remains operationally available within NATO,” said Lieutenant General Bernard Phaleg, Belgium’s Director General Material Resources and National Armaments Director.
The ship was renamed Briz when the Bulgarian naval flag was raised during the ceremony at Zeebrugge Naval Base, and the ship will relocate to Burgas Naval Base once preparations are complete, Baird Maritime reported.
Under the arrangement, Bulgaria pays for the maintenance, recommissioning, and operational deployment of the ships, while Belgium contributes technical knowledge and industrial expertise, the Belgian ministry said. Bulgaria’s parliament approved the acquisition on August 26.
Belgium and the Netherlands are phasing out their Tripartite fleets as they bring in a new generation of mine countermeasures ships built around unmanned systems and advanced sensors, including the City-class vessels, the second of which reached Belgium in September. The Belgian ministry said the transfer gives the older ships a “second operational life” with the Bulgarian Navy.
Bulgaria already operates three Tripartite minehunters, Tsibar, Mesta, and Struma. In 2024 it formed a Black Sea mine countermeasures task force with Romania and Turkey, and NATO said in October it would send patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea after attacks on commercial ships.
Three more Belgian minehunters are due to go to Bulgaria under the agreement. The Belgian ministry did not give dates for their transfer.
