NVL Group holds keel laying ceremony for first Bulgarian Navy's patrol vessel.

According to information published by MTG Dolphin on June 17, 2022, the keel of the first MMPV for the Bulgarian Navy was laid at MTG Dolphin in Varna. The first keel block, weighing 47 tons, was laid over “lucky coins” in a traditional shipbuilding ceremony.
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Model of the future MMPV during the keel-laying ceremony (Picture source: MTG Dolphin)

Commander of the Navy Rear admiral Kiril Mihaylov announced the name of the new vessel, which will be “Hrabri”, meaning “Brave” in Bulgarian – proud inheritor of the Navy’s torpedo boat of the same name from the beginning of the 20th century.

The important milestone was attended by the President of Bulgaria Mr.Rumen Radev, Minister of Defense Mr.Dragomir Zakov, Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, Commander of the Navy Rear admiral Kiril Mihaylov, and other officials.

The vessels, based on the proven NVL design, are being built in Bulgaria by MTG Dolphin, acting as a subcontractor to prime contractor of the project – NVL Group.

When completed, they will be 90 meters long, with a displacement of 2’300 tons, and will feature a wide variety of naval capabilities, supported by integrated CMS.

The MMPV project, with a total volume of around 420 million euros, is currently the largest new-build project of the Bulgarian Navy. Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025, and the second vessel a year later.