User:Noclador/sandbox/Bulgarian People's Army 1989

At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the Bulgarian People's Army structure was as follows:

Under the Ministry of People's Defence came the Bulgarian People's Army, with two Fronts (army group sized formations). In peacetime the Land Forces Command was subordinated to the General Staff of the Bulgarian People's Army. In wartime the LFC transformed into the 1st Balkan Front, equal in status to the General Staff, which in turn took over the three wartime Army Military Districts (армейски военни окръзи (АВО)) and became a sort of "reserve front" tasked with rear area security and field replacement to the 1st Balkan Front. The difference between the Bulgarian People's Army and the armed forces of the People's Republic of Bulgaria should be noted. The Ministry of the Interior's law enforcement People's Militia, the Interior Troops and the Border Troops were also military formations, as were the Troops of the Ministry of Transport and the Troops of the Committee for Posts and Long Distance Messaging, but in peacetime only the services and organisations under the Ministry of People's Defence formed the BPA. The Committee for State Security mirrored the KGB in its functions and even the official designation drew direct parallel. In the same manner the Bulgarian State Security was a militarized organization outside of the control of the Ministry of People's Defence, which carried out foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence and military counter-intelligence, government communications etc.

Ministry of People's Defence

The Ministry of People's Defence (Министерство на народната отбрана (МНО)) was part of the People's Republic of Bulgaria's Council of Ministers and under the supervision of the Bulgarian Communist Party Central Committee's Military Department (Военен отдел на ЦК).

Structure (incomplete):

• Cabinet of the Minister (Кабинет на Министъра)
• Cadre Department (Управление „Кадри“ МНО)
• Planning Department (Планов отдел при МНО)
• Political Department (Политотдел – МНО)
• Financial Directorate (Финансово управление при МНО)
• Main Directorate for Armament and Equipment (Главно управление „Въоръжение и техника“)
• State Technical Supervision Department (Държавен технически контрол – МНО)
• Directorate for Quartermaster Support (Управление интендантско обслужване – МНО)
• Capital Building Department (Капитално строителство – МНО)
• subordinated to the MPD:
  • Service Support Battalion of the MPD (Батальон за осигуряване на МНО)
  • Main Signals Knot of the MPD (Главен свързочен възел на МНО)
  • Stationary Fundamental Signals System of the MPD (Стационарна опорна свързочна система на МНО) (with the status of a brigade)
  • 55th Pontoon Engineer Regiment, in Belene (Tasked with ensuring that Romanian and Soviet reinforcements could cross the Danube in the opening days of an eventual war. After that the brigade moves south under the Front command and the pontoon crossing duties in the rear are taken over by mobilization pontoon battalions of the Ministry of Transport Troops.)
  • Central Engineer Storage (Централен инженерен резерв (ЦИР))
  • central state storages for engineering equipment in the villages of Svetlen and Golyamo Novo (централни държавни складове в с. Светлен и с. Голямо Ново)
  • Military Medical Academy (Военномедицинска академия)
  • other units and formations
  • Garages of the MPD and the General Staff (Гаражи МНО – ГЩ)
  • Hotels and Residencies (Хотели и общежития – МО)
  • Information and Sociological Center (Информационно-социологически център – МНО)
  • State Military Publishing House (Държавно военно издателство)
  • State Museum of Military History (Военноисторически музей)

General Staff

Structure (incomplete):

• Operations Division (Оперативен отдел)
• Intelligence Division (Разузнавателен отдел)^[1]
  • 68th Independent Parachute-Reconnaissance Regiment (
    maskirovka were special mission units, directly subordinated to the General Staff with the capabilities to execute covert intelligence gathering and direct actions deep in the enemy rear of the two NATO adversaries in the region - Greece and Turkey respectively. Each of the bases was composed of a Command; Staff and Staff Services; 3 Para-Recon Companies of 6 Para-Recon Groups each (composed of 7 people: a commanding officer, a master sergeant executive commander, a radiotelegraphist, a senior intelligence gatherer, an intelligence gatherer, an intelligence gatherer/ grenadier and a military interpreter); a Training Company, a Signals Company and diverse support and supply units. The newly formed 68th IPRR included a Command; Staff and Staff Services; 3 x Para-Recon Battalions; Diversionary-Reconnaissance Detachment (reinforced company, specialised in direct actions, upgraded to a full battalion in 1989); Training Battalion; Signals Battalion and support and supply units. The full compliance to Soviet GRU-Spetsnaz standards since the formation of the regiment is also noted in the specification of the Para-Recon Groups, which were renamed Spetsnaz-Reconnaissance Groups (Разузнавателни Групи със Специално Назначение (РГСН)).^[2] The regiment is the forerunner of the modern 68th Special Forces Brigade
    . (Note that in different time periods the regiment alternated in its subordination between the Intelligence Division of the General Staff and the Intelligence Directorate of the Land Forces Command and for that reason it is listed under both.)
  • 83rd Independent Brigade OSNAZ (Brigade for Radio-intercept and Radio-technical Reconnaissance) (83. Отделната ОСНАЗ Бригада (Бригада за Радио и Радиотехническо Разузнаване) in Musachevo, just to the east of
    Electronic Warfare
    , such as the N, S and NS type units were called SPETSNAZ (same as the special forces units) from the Russian СПЕЦиальное НАЗначение (translated as "of special purpose"))
• Administrative Division (Административен отдел)
• Secret Documentation Division (Отдел „Секретно деловодство“)
• Military Scientific Division (Военнонаучен отдел)
• Military Education Institutions Division (Военноучебни заведения)
• Organisation and Mobilization Directorate (Организационно-мобилизационно управление)
• Engineer Directorate (Инженерно управление)
• Signals Division (Свързочен отдел)
  • 62nd Signals Brigade, in
    SIGINT and Cyber Defence next to its strategic communications mission) and the Mobile Communication and Information System (Мобилна Комуникационна Информационна Система (МКИС)) of the Joint Forces Command.^[5]
• Electronic Warfare Division (Отдел за Радиоелектронна Борба към Генералния Щаб (ОРЕБ-ГЩ)) (a General Staff department, headed by a Colonel
  )
  • Stationary Battalion for Radio-jamming (Стационарен Батальон за Радиосмущения)
  • Unit for Radioelectronic Control (Отряд за Радиоелектронен Контрол) (The unit's task was to control the radioelectronic signature of the own forces and to manage their survivability against jamming by the enemy. U.S. DOD "electronic protection".)
  • Central Workshop (Централна Работилница)
  • several Signals intelligence units including in Berkovitsa, Gorna Oryahovitsa etc.
• Topographic Directorate (Топографски отдел)
• Military Chemical Directorate (Военно-химически отдел)
• subordinated to the General staff
  • other units and formations

1st Balkan Front

In case of war the Bulgarian People's Army's Land Forces Command would have formed the 1st Balkan Front with the three Bulgarian armies and wartime reinforcements. The bulk of the Bulgarian army would have been assigned to this front.

Frontal Command, Sofia (wartime HQ near Nova Zagora)

• Directly Subordinated
  • Office of the Land Forces Commander (Канцелария на Командващ сухопътни войски)
  • Operations Directorate of the LFC (Оперативно управление – КСВ)
  • Intelligence Directorate of the LFC (Разузнавателно управление – КСВ)
    • Intelligence Command Post of the Intelligence Directorate of the LFC (Пункт за управление при разузнавателно управление КСВ)
    • (68-ми парашутно-разузнавателен полк (68 прп) (Пловдив) (Note that in different time periods the regiment alternated in its subordination between the Intelligence Division of the General Staff and the Intelligence Directorate of the Land Forces Command and for that reason it is listed under both.)
  • Department VIII of the LFC (Отдел VІІІ – КСВ) (possibly a covert designation for the military counter-intelligence branch of the State Security. In a similar manner the KGB's military counter-intelligence branch was the Third Main Directorate, but members of the Soviet Armed Forces knew it as the Special [or Particular] Departments and the Stasi's military counter-intelligence branch was designated as Main Directorate I (Hauptabteilung I) within the Stasi, but known as Department 2000 (Verwaltung 2000) to the members of the NVA).
  • Combat Training Directorate of the LFC (Управление „Бойна подготовка“ – КСВ)
  • Organisation and Mobilisation Directorate of the LFC (Организационно-мобилизационно управление – КСВ)
  • Political Directorate of the LFC (Политическо управление – КСВ)
    • Political Department of the LFC (Политотдел – КСВ)
  • Personnel Department of the LFC (Отдел „Кадри“ – КСВ)
  • Financial Audit Service of the LFC (Финансово-ревизионна служба – КСВ)
  • Military Topographic Section (Военно-топографско отделение – КСВ)
  • Armament and Equipment Directorate of the LFC (Управление „Въоръжение и техника“ – КСВ)
  • Missile Armament and Radio-Locating Equipment Directorate of the LFC (Управление „Ракетноартилерийско въоръжение и радиолокаторна техника“ – КСВ)
    • 235 ЦАБ и 248 ЦАС. През 1978 г. на базата на 141 ААС се формират 230 АС и 141 ААС, като последния се предислоцира в района на село Поповица. 57 ЦАСП преминава през 1980 г. към УРАВ и РЛТ - КСВ и се формира 135 фртб. Насищането на БА със зенитно-ракетно въоръжение и перспективите за по-нататъшното му получаване в началото на 80-те години, възниква въпросът и необходимостта да се създаде централна зенитно-ракетна техническа база (ЦЗРТБ). Първоначално се предвижда да бъде дислоцирана в района на 257 ЦАС или в района на Севлиево. След това е решено, предложено и утвърдено от ръководството на МО, тя да бъде създадена за нуждите и по щата на Сухопътните войски и да бъде дислоцирана в района на Шивачево, Сливенски окръг в район, отчужден за нуждите на тила на БА.
  • Automobile Equipment Directorate of the LFC (Управление „Автобронетанкова техника“ – КСВ)
  • Department for Mechanization, Automatization of the Command and Control of the Troops and Computing Center of the LCF (Механизация и автомеханизация на управление на войските и изчислителен център – КСВ)
  • Commandancy of the LFC (Коменданство – КСВ) (unlike the name implies, this is not the office of the LFC Commander, but a unit, which provides security and supplies the LFC)
  • Signals Troops Directorate (Управление свързочни войски (УСВ-КСВ))
    • 65th Signals Regiment (65-и Свързочен полк (65 свп)), in Nova Zagora
    • 66th Separate Signals Battalion for command support of the Rear Services Directorate (66-и Отделен свързочен батальон за управление на МТО), in Kazanlak
    • 21st Separate Line Battalion for Government High Frequency Communications (21-ви Отделен линеен батальон за правителствена ВЧ–свръзка), in Kazanlak
    • Signals Company for the Forward-Deployed Command Post of the LFC (Свързочна рота ИКП – КСВ)
  • Electronic Warfare Service of the LFC (Служба за Радиоелектронна Борба (Служба РЕБ – КСВ))
    • Independent Frontal
      Electronic Warfare
      Battalion type "NS" (Отделен Фронтови Батальон за Радиоелектронна Борба тип "НС"), splits in wartime in
      • Independent Frontal
        Electronic Warfare
        Battalion type "N" (Отделен Фронтови Батальон за Радиоелектронна Борба тип "Н") (tasked to jam the enemy communications)
      • Independent Frontal
        Electronic Warfare
        Battalion type "S" (Отделен Фронтови Батальон за Радиоелектронна Борба тип "С") (tasked to jam the enemy's targeting systems and thus protect the own forces and locations from guided weapons)
  • Missile and Artillery Troops Directorate (Управление „Ракетни войски и артилерия“ – КСВ)
    • 76th Front Missile Brigade (76-та фронтова ракетна бригада (76 фррбр)), in Telish, with 8x OTR-23 Oka ballistic missile launchers^[10]
    • 135th Front Mobile Missile-Technical Base (135-та фронтова мобилна ракетна техническа база (135фрмртб)), in Telish
  • Land Forces Air Defence Troops Directorate (Управление „ПВО“ – КСВ – под. 24580 (1972 – 1988)
    • Command Post of the Land Forces Air Defence (Команден пункт ПВО на СВ (КП ПВО СВ)), in Nova Zagora, in wartime it mobilizes into:
      • Center for Combat Command and Control of the Air Defence of the Front (ЦБО ПА)
      • Combat Controllers Center (ЦН)
      • Data Receiving and Relaying Center (ППЦ)
      • support units
    • 31st Frontal Missile Air Defence Brigade (31-ва фронтова зенитно-ракетна бригада (31фзрбр), in Stara Zagora, armed with 2K11 Krug
    • 64th Frontal Missile Air Defence Technical Base (64-та фронтова зенитно-ракетна техническа база (64фзртб)), in Shivachevo, supporting the 31st FMADBde.
    • 24th Frontal Radio-Technical Regiment (24-ти фронтови радио-технически полк (24 фртп), until 1984 the 3rd Separate Radio-Technical Battalion), in
      forward edge of battle area, each operating within an operational area 90 to 120 kms wide and 60 to 90kms deep. The 24th FRTRgt. was to deploy behind the three army battalions covering the whole width of the front. The regiment was planned to deploy 90 to 120 kms deep behind the battalions. In this posture the three army battalions provided the first radar coverage tier of the land forces, the regiment provided the third radar coverage tier. The intermediate second tier, ca. 70 to 90 kms behind the FEBA is where the radar posts of the three army battalions and the front regiment intermeshed and this tier was provided by them all. The radio-technical system of the land forces was as a network completely separate from the air force was a closely guarded secret. The units were not to be deployed in peace time. In order to provide the personnel of these units with practical experience. in the mid-1970s each army battalion forward deployed 1 radio-technical company (out of 3) as a radio-technical node attached to the air force. The 1st ARTBn. deployed an RTN at Lokvata, the 2nd ARTBn. deployed an RTN at Ivaylovgrad and the 3rd ARTBn. deployed an RTN at Gorska Polyana (near Bolyarovo). The 24th FRTRgt. deployed an RTN at Polski Gradets (near Radnevo
      ). Personnel from the three army battalions and the frontal separate battalion (later regiment) was rotated through them. Around 1990 tin line with the armed forces reorganisation the four RTNs of the land forces operationally attached to the air force were absorbed into the AF. The regiment consisted of:
      • Command Battalion
      • Radio-Technical Battalion (Nova Zagora, 2 heavy and 2 light radio-technical companies)
      • Radio-Technical Battalion (Polski Gradets, 2 heavy and 2 light radio-technical companies)
        • forward deployed Radio-Technical Node at Polski Gradets (near Radnevo), operationally attached to the air force
  • Engineer Directorate of the LFC (Инженерно управление – КСВ)
    • 54th Engineer Regiment (54-ти Инженерно-сапьорен полк (54 исп)) (expands into a brigade in wartime), in Svishtov
    • 3 specialised engineer regiments полка (ИПОЗП, ИТП, ИПМСТП)
    • 2 engineer storage bases (ЦИРБ и ЦИСБ)
    • 5 stationary technical repair facilities (стационарни технически работилници)
    • 5 stationary engineer storages (стационарни инженерни складове)
  • Chemical Troops Directorate (Управление „Химически войски“ – КСВ)
    • 59th Chemical Defence Battalion (59-ти Полк за химическа защита (59 пхз)), in Gorna Oryahovitsa (in wartime the regiment expands into:)
      • 1st Frontal Chemical Defence Brigade (1-ва Фронтова бригада за химическа защита (1 фбрхз))
      • 86th Separate Battalion for Chemical Defence to the Front's Rear Area (86-ти Отделен батальон за химическа защита за тила на фронта (86 обхз-т))
      • 1st Frontal Thermal Smoke Generation Battalion (1-ви Фронтови отделен термо-димов батальон (1фодб))
      • 1st Frontal Nuclear Explosions Detection Company (1-ва Фронтова рота за засичане на ядрените взривове (1фрзяв))
      • Frontal Radiation and Chemical Reconnaissance Company (Фронтова рота за радиационно и химическо разузнаване)
    • 162nd Chemical Equipment Storage (162-ри Химически склад), in Tsareva Livada
  • Rear Services Directorate of the LFC (Управление „Тил“ – КСВ) (possibly in Kazanlak ?)
    • 66th Signals Battalion (66-ти Свързочен батальон за тила на КСВ), in Kazanlak with a mobilization equipment storage in Golyamo Dryanovo
    • Separate Support Company for the Rear of the LFC (Отделна рота за осигуряване Тила на КСВ), in Kazanlak
    • Stationary Military Hospital Pleven (Стационарна болница Плевен (КСВ))
    • Sanitary Epidemiological Detachment of the LFC (Санитарно-епидемиологичен отряд – КСВ)
    • (medical storages, which mobilise in wartime field hospitals of the armies and the Front)
    • 1st Frontal Logistical Base (1-ва фронтова тилова база (1фртб)), in Veliki Preslav with a
      • network of bases and storages spread across the country
    • 3 Frontal Logistical Brigades (фронтови бригади за материално-техническо осигуряване)
    • Road Traffic Control Brigade (Пътнокомендантска бригада)
    • 2 Pipeline Battalions (тръбопроводни батальони)
    • 4 Repair and Replenishment Brigades (ремонтно-възстановителни бригади), each consisting of
      • 7 Repair and Replenishment Battalions (ремонтно-възстановителни батальони)
      • Equipment Evacuation Battalion (батальон за евакуация)
      • Service Battalion (батальон за обслужване)
  • The following army education institutions (военните училища и школи) were subordinated to the LFC in order to give to it the ability to guide and supervise the training and career development of personnel for the Front. These would have formed the following units in wartime:
    • "Vasil Levski" People's Higher Combined Arms School (ВНВУ „Васил Левски"), in Veliko Tarnovo - 68th Motor Rifle Division
    • "Hristo Botev" People's Reserve Officers School (НШЗО „Христо Ботев"), in Pleven - 15th Motor Rifle Division
    • "Gotse Delchev" Reserve Officers Re-qualification School (ШПЗО „Гоце Делчев"), in Vratsa - 8th Motor Rifle Division
    • "Georgi Dimitrov" People's Artillery and Air Defence Forces School (ВНВАУ „Георги Димитров"), in Shumen - a front artillery division and an anti-tank artillery brigade
      • 84th Front Artillery Division - Reserve of the High Command (84-та Фронтова Артилерийска Дивизия - Резерв на Главното Командване) - formed for the massive Shield-82 (Щит-82) exercise of the Warsaw Pact Organisation, after which put in cadre status. Each brigade included four fire divisions of 18 pieces each, for a total of 72 systems in each brigade.^[11]
        • Division HQ
        • 85th Mixed Artillery Brigade (85-а Смесена Артилерийска Бригада) (100-mm BS-3 guns and 122-mm 2А-19 guns)
        • 86th Heavy Howitzer Artillery Brigade (86-а Тежка Гаубична Артилерийска Бригада) (152-mm D-20 gun-howitzers)
        • 87th Howitzer Artillery Brigade (87-а Гаубична Артилерийска Бригада) (122-mm М-30 howitzers)
        • 89th Rocket Artillery Brigade (89-а Реактивна Артилерийска Бригада) (
          MLRS
          )
        • a High Power Mixed Artillery Battalion (дивизион) with a peacetime structure of two 2S7 Pion howitzer batteries and one 2S4 Tyulpan mortar battery and wartime mobilization into a full brigade was planned under the artillery division, but the difficult financial state of the country in 1989 has prevented these plans from happening and a heavy 160-mm Mixed High-Powered Mortar Battalion was fielded instead in the village of Kostina Reka near Shumen.
      • 64th Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade - Reserve of the High Command (64-та Изтребителна противотанкова артилерийска бригада - РГК (64иптабр - РГК), other sources designate the brigade as 64-а Фронтова противотанкова бригада (64фрптбр))^[12]
        • Command and Staff
        • Command and Reconnaissance Battery and
        • supporting units
        • 2 battalions each of 18 x 100-mm
          MT-12
        • 2 battalions each of 18 x 76-mm
          MT-12
          )
        • 1 battalion of 18 x 100-mm SAU-100

Land Forces

1st Army

• 1st Army, in Sofia, with the strike direction of Yugoslavia and Greece
  • 1st Motor Rifle Division, in Slivnitsa
    • 3rd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Slivnitsa
    • 5th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Slivnitsa
    • 48th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Breznik
    • 65th Tank Regiment, in Botevgrad
    • 18th Artillery Regiment, in Bozhurishte
    • 37th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Slivnitsa
    • 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 1st Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 1st Missile Division, in Samokov
    • 1st Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 1st Engineer Battalion
    • 1st Signal Battalion, in Slivnitsa
    • 1st Transport Battalion
    • 1st Supply Battalion
    • 1st Maintenance Battalion
    • 1st Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 1st Chemical Defence Company
    • 1st Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 1st Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 3rd Motor Rifle Division, in Blagoevgrad
    • 14th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Simitli
    • 19th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Kresna and Sandanski)
    • 28th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Gotse Delchev
    • 11th Tank Regiment, in Bansko
    • 36th Artillery Regiment, in Razlog
    • 49th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Blagoevgrad, 3 fire batteries of 4 9K33 Osa-AKM launchers each
    • 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 3rd Self-propelled Field Artillery Division, in Bansko
    • 3rd Anti-tank Artillery Division, in Simitli
    • 3rd Missile Division, in
      Grudovo, in Razlog
    • 3rd Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 3rd Engineer Battalion
    • 3rd Signal Battalion
    • 3rd Transport Battalion
    • 3rd Supply Battalion
    • 3rd Maintenance Battalion
    • 3rd Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 3rd Chemical Defence Company
    • 3rd Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 3rd Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 21st Motor Rifle Division, in Pazardzhik (a training/reserve formation to be brought up to strength in times of war)
    • 30th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Pazardzhik
    • 101st Motor Rifle Regiment, in Smolyan
    • 102nd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Devin
    • 103rd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Ardino
    • 105th Artillery Regiment, in Smolyan
    • Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment
    • 21st Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 21st Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 21st Missile Division, in Pazardzhik
    • 21st Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 21st Engineer Battalion
    • 21st Signal Battalion
    • 21st Transport Battalion
    • 21st Supply Battalion
    • 21st Maintenance Battalion
    • 21st Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 21st Chemical Defence Company
    • 21st Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 21st Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 9th Tank Brigade, in Gorna Banya suburb of Sofia - according to the memories of Colonel (Ret.) Yanko Roshkev, the brigade's commanding officer at the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, the brigade had a special force structure, due to its immediate proximity to the country's capital. It had a total of 182 main battle tanks in 3 tank battalions (1st, 2nd and 3rd Tank Battalions of 49 MBTs each), 1 regular (9th Motor Rifle Battalion) and 1 mobilization (10th Motor Rifle Battalion, mobilized around the political changes in the end of 1989) motor rifle battalions (each with its own tank company of (10 MBTs each?) and an additional separate tank company (of 13 MBTs ?) for the security of the General Staff building in Sofia and 2MBTs in the Brigade HQ for the brigade's CO and XO.^[13]
  • Rocket Artillery Brigade
  • 46th Army Tactical Missile Brigade, in Samokov^[10]
  • 128th Mobile Missile-Technical Base, in Samokov
  • 5th Army Artillery Regiment, in Samokov
  • 19th Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Brigade (19тa Армейскa Изтребителна Противотанкова Артилерийска Бригада), in Samoranovo (the brigade also had ATGMs (9M14 Malyutka, also known in the Bulgarian army as "first generation ATGM") until 1981, when the systems were transferred to the front-line MR divisions)
    • Command (Командване)
    • Staff (Щаб)
    • Reconnaissance and Fire Control Battery (Батарея за Разузнаване и Управление (БРУ))
    • 1st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (1ви Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (1ви ИПТАДн)
      • 1st, 2nd and 3rd Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
        per battery
    • 2nd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (2ри Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (2ри ИПТАДн)
      • 4th, 5th and 6th Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
        per battery
    • 3rd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (3ти Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (3ти ИПТАДн)
      • 7th, 8th and 9th Batteries - 6x 100mm self-propelled SAU-100 (probably PT-SAU T-100 tank destroyers on T-34 chassis?)
    • 4th Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (4ти Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (4ти ИПТАДн)
      • 10th, 11th and 12th Batteries - 6x 100mm self-propelled SAU-100 (probably PT-SAU T-100 tank destroyers on T-34 chassis?)
    • support units
  • Army Air Defence Artillery Regiment (in wartime 4 divisions x 4 batteries x 6
    100 mm air defense guns KS-19
    , reduced strength in peacetime, only for training - 2 divisions x 1 battery x 2 platoons of a single gun each)
  • 1st Army Radio-Technical Battalion, in Sofia
    • forward deployed Radio-Technical Node at Lokvata, operationally attached to the air force
    • 2 wartime mobilization radio-technical companies
    • radio platoon
    • transportation section
    • repair workshop
  • 59th Army Chemical Defence Regiment, in Musachevo
  • 88th Army Engineer Regiment, in Kyustendil
  • 97th Army Signal Regiment, in Sofia
  • 1st Army Independent
    Electronic Warfare
    Battalion type "N", in Sofia
  • 1st Army Cable Laying Signal Battalion in Sofia
  • 1st Parachute-Reconnaissance Battalion, in Gorna Banya suburb of Sofia
  • Army Artillery-Reconnaissance Battalion
  • Pontoon Bridge Engineer Battalion, in Kyustendil

2nd Army

• 2nd Army, in Plovdiv, with the strike direction of Greece and Turkey
  • 2nd Motor Rifle Division, in Stara Zagora
    • 22nd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Harmanli
    • 38th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Stara Zagora
    • 49th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Simeonovgrad
    • 196th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Chirpan
    • 41st Artillery Regiment, in Stara Zagora
    • 97th Air Defence Missile Regiment, in Nova Zagora, 4 fire batteries of 4 2K12 Kub launchers each
    • 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 2nd Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 2nd Missile Division, in Stara Zagora
    • 2nd Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 2nd Engineer Battalion
    • 2nd Signal Battalion, in Nova Zagora
    • 2nd Transport Battalion
    • 2nd Supply Battalion
    • 2nd Maintenance Battalion
    • 2nd Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 2nd Chemical Defence Company
    • 2nd Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 2nd Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 17th Motor Rifle Division, in Haskovo
    • 31st Motor Rifle Regiment, in Haskovo
    • 34th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Momchilgrad
    • 78th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Krumovgrad
    • 66th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Haskovo
    • 87th Artillery Regiment, in Kardzhali
    • 77th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Dimitrovgrad, 4 fire batteries of 4 2K12 Kub launchers each (in the late 1990s the regiment became a brigade, absorbing the other 'Kub'-regiment, the 97th from Nova Zagora)
    • 17th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 17th Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 17th Missile Division, in Dimitrovgrad
    • 17th Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 17th Engineer Battalion
    • 17th Signal Battalion, in Ivaylovgrad
    • 17th Transport Battalion
    • 17th Supply Battalion
    • 17th Maintenance Battalion
    • 17th Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 17th Chemical Defence Company
    • 17th Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 17th Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 5th Tank Brigade, in Kazanlak
  • 11th Tank Brigade, in Karlovo
  • Rocket Artillery Brigade
  • 56th Army Tactical Missile Brigade, in Marino Pole^[10]
  • 129th Mobile Missile-Technical Base, in Marino Pole
  • 4th Army Artillery Regiment, in Asenovgrad
  • 23rd Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (23ти Армейски Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Полк (23ти АИПТАП)) in Plovdiv (around 1988-89 the regiment received 9M113 Konkurs, mounted on BRDM-2 (the ATGM-armed variant is known as BRDM-3) and became of mixed structure with 3 ATGM and 6 artillery batteries. On 1. September 1989 converted to 23rd Department for Reservists and Anti-Tank Artillery Training and Armament and Equipment Storage (23ти Отдел за Подготовка на Резервисти и Противотанкова Артилерия и Съхранение на Въоръжение и Техника (23ти ОПРПАСВТ))
    • 1st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (1ви Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (1ви ИПТАДн))
      • 1st Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 2nd and 3rd Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
    • 2nd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (2ри Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (2ри ИПТАДн))
      • 4th Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 5th and 6th Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
    • 3rd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (3ти Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (3ти ИПТАДн))
      • 7th Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 8th and 9th Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
  • Army Air Defence Artillery Regiment (in wartime 4 divisions x 4 batteries x 6
    100 mm air defense guns KS-19
    , reduced strength in peacetime, only for training - 2 divisions x 1 battery x 2 platoons of a single gun each)
  • 2nd Army Radio-Technical Battalion, in Plovdiv, also inducted newly trained radar operators for the land forces
    • forward deployed Radio-Technical Node at Ivaylovgrad, operationally attached to the air force
    • 2 wartime mobilization radio-technical companies
    • radio platoon
    • transportation section
    • repair workshop
  • Army Chemical Defence Regiment
  • Army Engineer Regiment
  • Army Signal Regiment, in Plovdiv
  • 2nd Army Independent
    Electronic Warfare Battalion type "N", in Parvomay
  • 2nd Army Cable Laying Signal Battalion, in Plovdiv
  • 2nd Parachute Reconnaissance Battalion, in Sliven
  • Army Artillery-Reconnaissance Battalion

3rd Army

• 3rd Army, in Sliven, with the strike direction of Turkey
  • 7th Motor Rifle Division, in Yambol^[14]
    • 12th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Elhovo
    • 42nd Tank Regiment, in Yambol
    • 53rd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Bolyarovo
    • 82nd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Yambol
    • 20th Artillery Regiment, in Yambol
    • 50th Air Defence Missile Regiment, in Elhovo, 3 fire batteries of 4 9K33 Osa-AKM launchers each
    • 7th Missile Division, in Boyanovo village, Elhovo Municipality
    • 7th Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division, in Yambol
    • 7th Anti-Tank Artillery Division, in Yambol
    • 7th Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery, in Yambol
    • 7th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 7th Engineer Battalion
    • 7th Signal Battalion, in Yambol
    • 7th Transport Battalion, in Yambol
    • 7th Supply Battalion, in Yambol
    • 7th Maintenance Battalion
    • 7th Chemical Defence Company
    • 7th Commandant's Company (Military Police), in Yambol
    • 7th Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (7ми Дивизионен Отряд за Медицинско Осигуряване, Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 16th Motor Rifle Division, in Burgas
    • 16th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Sredets
    • 33rd Motor Rifle Regiment, in Zvezdets
    • 37th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Tsarevo
    • 96th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Dolni Chiflik
    • 88th Artillery Regiment, in Sredets (at some point in the 1980s reduced to 88th Artillery Support Division)
    • Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment
    • 16th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • Self-propelled Field Artillery Division
    • 16th Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 16th Missile Division, in
      Grudovo
    • 16th Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 16th Engineer Battalion
    • 16th Signal Battalion
    • 16th Transport Battalion
    • 16th Supply Battalion
    • 16th Maintenance Battalion
    • 16th Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 16th Chemical Defence Company
    • 16th Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 16th Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 18th Motor Rifle Division, in Shumen (maintained as a Not Ready Division - Cadre High Strength (US terms: Category III),^[15] a reserve formation to be brought up to strength in time of war)
    • 29th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Shumen
    • 40th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Razgrad
    • 45th Motor Rifle Regiment, in Dobrich
    • 86th Tank Regiment, in Shumen
    • 47th Artillery Regiment, in Targovishte
    • Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment
    • 18th Reconnaissance Battalion
    • 18th Anti-tank Artillery Division
    • 18th Missile Division, in Shumen
    • 18th Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division
    • 18th Engineer Battalion
    • 18th Signal Battalion
    • 18th Transport Battalion
    • 18th Supply Battalion
    • 18th Maintenance Battalion
    • 18th Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
    • 18th Chemical Defence Company
    • 18th Commandant's Company (Military Police)
    • 18th Divisional Detachment for Medical Support (Medical-Sanitary Battalion in wartime)
  • 13th Tank Brigade, in Sliven
  • 24th Tank Brigade, in Aytos
  • Rocket Artillery Brigade
  • 66th Army Tactical Missile Brigade, in Kabile
  • 130th Mobile Missile-Technical Base, at Bezmer Air Base
  • 45th Army Artillery Regiment, in Targovishte (each combat division has 3 fire batteries)
    • Regimental Command (Kомандване)
    • Regimental Staff (Щаб)
    • Fire Control Battery (Батарея за Управление)
    • 1st 130-mm Gun Artillery Division (1ви 130-мм Оръдеен Артилерийски Дивизион)
    • 2nd 130-mm Gun Artillery Division (cadred) (2ри 130-мм Оръдеен Артилерийски Дивизион) (кадриран)
    • 3rd 152-mm 152 mm Howitzer-Gun Artillery Division (3ти 152-мм Гаубично-оръдеен Артилерийски Дивизион с МЛ-20)
    • 4th 152-mm 152 mm Howitzer-Gun Artillery Division (cadred) (4ти 152-мм Гаубично-оръдеен Артилерийски Дивизион с МЛ-20) (кадриран)
    • 5th 122-mm Rocket Artillery Division (5ти Реактивен артилерийски дизивион с БМ 21 "Град")
    • Training Mixed Artillery Division (Учебен Смесен Артилерийски Дивизион)
    • support units (обслужващи подразделения)
  • 55th Army Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (55ти Армейски Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Полк (55ти АИПТАП)) in
    MT-12s (18 pieces) to the Higher Artillery School in Shumen as mobilization reserve for the formation of a wartime anti-tank division under its cadred Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade - Reserve of the High Command. At the same time 55th Regiment received 9M113 Konkurs, mounted on BRDM-2s
    and converted to mixed structure
    • 1st Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (1ви Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (1ви ИПТАДн))
      • 1st Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 2nd and 3rd Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
    • 2nd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (2ри Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (2ри ИПТАДн))
      • 4th Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 5th and 6th Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
    • 3rd Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Division (3ти Изтребителен Противотанков Артилерийски Дивизион (3ти ИПТАДн))
      • 7th Battery - 4x BRDM-3; 8th and 9th Batteries - 6x
        MT-12 antitank guns
  • Army Air Defence Artillery Regiment (in wartime 4 divisions x 4 batteries x 6
    100 mm air defense guns KS-19
    , reduced strength in peacetime, only for training - 2 divisions x 1 battery x 2 platoons of a single gun each)
  • 3rd Army Radio-Technical Battalion, in Sliven
    • forward deployed Radio-Technical Node at Gorska Polyana (near Bolyarovo), operationally attached to the air force
    • 2 wartime mobilization radio-technical companies
    • radio platoon
    • transportation section
    • repair workshop
  • Army Chemical Defence Regiment
  • Army Engineer Regiment
  • Army Signal Regiment, in Sliven
  • 3rd Army Independent
    Electronic Warfare
    Battalion type "N", in Sliven
  • 3rd Army Cable Laying Signal Battalion, in Sliven
  • 3rd Parachute Reconnaissance Battalion, in Sliven (3ти Парашутно-разузнавателен батальон (3ти ПРБ))
  • Army Artillery-Reconnaissance Battalion

Land forces' units organization and equipment

The eight motor rifle divisions were not all organized in the same way. Four fielded a tank regiment and three motor rifle regiments and four divisions fielded four motor rifle regiments. Also the two training/reserve divisions (18th, 21st) were partially equipped with older equipment.

• Motor Rifle Division
  • Motor Rifle Regiment
    • 3x Motor Rifle Battalions, with
      armored personnel carriers
    • Tank Battalion, with T-55 main battle tanks
    • Reconnaissance Company, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles
    • Anti-tank Artillery Battery, with towed 100mm
      T-12
      anti-tank guns
    • Air Defence Battery, with a mix of Strela 1 and ZSU-57-2 vehicles
    • Engineer Company
  • Motor Rifle Regiment
    • 3x Motor Rifle Battalions, with
      armored personnel carriers
    • Tank Battalion, with T-55 main battle tanks
    • Reconnaissance Company, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles
    • Anti-tank Artillery Battery, with towed 100mm
      T-12
      anti-tank guns
    • Air Defence Battery, with a mix of Strela 1 and ZSU-57-2 vehicles
    • Engineer Company
  • Motor Rifle Regiment
    • 3x Motor Rifle Battalions, in trucks and lorries
    • Tank Battalion, with T-55 main battle tanks
    • Reconnaissance Company, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles
    • Anti-tank Artillery Battery, with towed 100mm
      T-12
      anti-tank guns
    • Air Defence Battery, with a mix of Strela 1 and ZSU-57-2 vehicles
    • Engineer Company
  • Tank Regiment (Replaced by a fourth MT-LB-equipped motor rifle regiment in the 2nd, 7th, 16th, and 17th motor rifle divisions)
    • 3x Tank Battalions, with T-55 main battle tanks (T-62 main battle tanks in a few units)
    • Motor Rifle Battalion, with
      armored personnel carriers
    • Reconnaissance Company, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles
    • Air Defence Battery, with a mix of Strela 1 and ZSU-57-2 vehicles
    • Engineer Company
    • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, and signal units
  • Artillery Regiment
    • 3x Field Artillery Division, with 18x towed 122mm M-30 howitzers
    • Heavy Howitzer Artillery Division, with 18x towed 122mm
      D-20
      howitzers in the late 1980s)
    • Self-propelled Field Artillery Division, with 18x self-propelled 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers (Not present in training/reserve divisions)
    • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units
  • Air Defence Regiment
    • 5x Anti-aircraft Missile batteries, with either Kub or Osa air defence systems
    • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units
  • Reconnaissance Battalion, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles (Training/reserve divisions fielded a mix of BRDM-1 and BTR-40 armored cars)
  • Anti-tank Artillery Division, with towed 100mm
    D-48
    anti-tank guns)
  • Missile Division, with 4x 9K52 Luna-M ballistic missile launchers (Were being replaced with OTR-21 Tochka in the late 1980s)
  • Multiple Rocket Launch Artillery Division, with 18x 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers
  • Engineer Battalion
  • Signal Battalion
  • Transport Battalion
  • Supply Battalion
  • Maintenance Battalion
  • Artillery Reconnaissance and Control Battery
  • Chemical Defence Company
  • Commandant's Company (Military Police)
  • Medical-Sanitary Battalion

The only armoured formation in the Army of the

• Tank Brigade
  • 3x Tank Battalions, with T-72 main battle tanks or T-55
  • Motor Rifle Battalion, with BMP-23 infantry fighting vehicles or BMP-1
  • Self-propelled Field Artillery Division, with 18x self-propelled 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers
  • Reconnaissance Company, with BRDM-2 armored cars and tracked BRM "Sova" reconnaissance vehicles
  • Anti-aircraft Missile Battery, with 4x Strela-10 air defence systems
  • Missile Division, with 2x 9K52 Luna-M ballistic missile launchers (Were being replaced with OTR-21 Tochka in the late 1980s)
  • Engineer Company
  • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, and signal units

The three rocket artillery brigades were organized as follows:

• Rocket Artillery Brigade
  • 3x Rocket Artillery Divisions, with 18x 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers
  • Rocket Artillery Division, with 130mm RM-51 multiple rocket launchers
  • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units

The three army tactical missile brigades were organized as follows:

• Army Operation-Tactical Missile Brigade - one for each army, a Frontal Operation-Tactical Missile Brigade as General Reserve
  • 2x Missile Divisions, with 4x
    R-400 Oka
  • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units

The three army artillery regiments were organized as follows:

• Army Artillery Regiment
  • 3x Field Artillery Divisions, with 18x towed 122mm M-30 howitzers
  • Long Range Artillery Division, with 18x towed 130mm M-46 howitzers
  • Heavy Howitzer Artillery Division, with 18x towed 122mm
    D-20
    howitzers in the late 1980s)
  • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units

The three army anti-tank regiments were organized as follows:

• Army Anti-tank Regiment
  • 3x Anti-tank Artillery Division, with 12x towed 100mm
    T-12 guns and 6x BRDM-2 vehicles in the anti-tank variant with Konkurs
    anti-tank missiles
  • Logistic, maintenance, chemical defence, medical, security, and signal units

The headquarters of the Air Forces and Air Defence were in Sofia.^[17]

Air Forces and Air Defence Headquarters

• Air Force and Air Defence Headquarters (Щаб на Военновъздушните сили и Противо-въздушната Отбрана (Щаб на ВВС и ПВО)), Sofia (Aviation Square at Tsarigradsko shose, popularly known as the "Fourth Kilometer Area")
  • Electronic Warfare Section
    (Отделение РЕБ)
    • 89th Independent Electronic Warfare Battalion type "S" (89ти Отделен батальон РЛС тип "С") (Ihtiman Mountain)
  • Central Command Post, in Boyana, Sofia
  • Reserve Command Post, in Bozhurishte
  • Deputy Chief of Staff of the AF and ADF, Chief of the Aerotechnical Engineer Service of the Air Force and Air Defence
    • Scientific Research Base for Exploitation and Repair of Aviation Materiel (Научно-изследователска База за Експлоатация и Ремонт на Авиационна Техника (НИБЕРАТ)) (Vrazhdebna Airfield)
    • Military Aviation Repair Facility 1 (Военна авиоремонтна работилница 1 (ВАРР-1)) (Graf Ignatievo Air Base)
      • mothballed aircraft for wartime mobilization - MiG-21 (6 x F-13, 8 x M, 8 x PF, 36 x PFM, 2 x UM)
    • Military Aviation Repair Facility 2 (Военна авиоремонтна работилница 2 (ВАРР-2)) (Bezmer Air Base)
      • mothballed aircraft for wartime mobilization - MiG-17 (2 x F, 10 x PF), MiG-15 (7 x UTI)
    • Military Aviation Repair Facility 3 (Военна авиоремонтна работилница 3 (ВАРР-3)) (Dolna Mitropoliya Air Base)
      • mothballed aircraft for wartime mobilization - MiG-17 (43 x various), MiG-15 (43 x various)
  • Deputy Chief of Staff of the AF and ADF in Charge of Mechanization and Automatization of the Command and Control of the Troops
    • Military Computing Center (Военен Изчислителен Център)
  • Deputy Chief of Staff of the AF and ADF in Charge of Regulation of Air Activities
    • Integrated Joint Air Traffic Control Service (Интегрирана Единна Авиодиспечерска Служба)
  • Command of the Radio-Technical Troops (Командване на радиотехническите войски (кРТВ))
    • Repair Workshop for Radio-Technical Equipment (Работилница за ремонт на радиолокационна техника (РР-РЛТ)), in Bozhurishte

When the 10th Mixed Air Corps was formed in 1961 the 16th Transport Air Regiment was part of it, but later it was subordinated directly to the Air Force and Air Defence Forces Headquarters, as the regiment was planned to form Directorate of the Military Transport and Specialised Aviation (Управление на Военнотранспортната и Специалната Авиация (ВТА и СА)) during wartime, when the national airline BGA Balkan would have been mobilized.^[18]

The two air defence divisions were coordinated by an Air Defence Command Post in Sofia. The separation line between their areas of responsibility ran along a line from Ruse through Nova Zagora to Svilengrad.^[19]

1st Air Defence Division

• 1st Air Defence Division, in Bozhurishte, protecting the country's Southwest
  • Dobroslavtsi Airfield (near Sofia)
    • 18th Fighter Air Regiment (18ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (18ти ИАП)) (Dobroslavtsi Airfield)
      • 1/18th Fighter Air Squadron, Dobroslavtsi Air Base, flying MiG-23MF/ML/MLA/UB
    • ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
    • 18th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (18ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (18ти ОБРСТО))
  • Gabrovnitsa Airfield (near Mihaylovgrad, present day Montana)
    • 18th Fighter Air Regiment (18ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (18ти ИАП)) (Dobroslavtsi Airfield)
      • 2/18th Fighter Air Squadron, Gabrovnitsa Air Base, flying MiG-23MLD/UB
    • ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
    • 11th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (11ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (11ти ОБРСТО))
  • 1st Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, Bozhurishte, protecting Sofia and Western Bulgaria
    • Brigade Command and Staff (Bozhurishte)
    • Group of Divisions S-200 (Група дивизиони С-200) (Kostinbrod - Ponor village) - S-200 "Vega" SAM
      • 1st Fire Division S-200 (1ви огневи дивизион С-200 (одн С-200))
      • 2nd Fire Division S-200 (2ри огневи дивизион С-200 (одн С-200))
      • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн))
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Bankya suburb of Sofia) - S-300PMU SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Samokov) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Yarlovo village near Samokov) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Ihtiman) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Baykal village near Pernik) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Stanke Dimitrov, present day Dupnitsa) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Lyulin mountain) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Bozhurishte) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Musachevo village near Sofia) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн)) (Yana Railway Station village)
    • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн)) (Radomir)
  • 2nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, in Plovdiv, protecting central Bulgaria
    • Brigade Command and Staff (Plovdiv)
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Dimitrovgrad) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Byala Cherkva village) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Trilistnik village) - S-75M "Volhov" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Haskovo) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM, converted to S-75M "Volhov" SAM in 1990.
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Yagodovo village) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Tsaratsovo village) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
    • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн)) (Mavrudovo village, near Krumovo airfield)
  • 1st Radio-technical Brigade, in Bozhurishte
    • Command and HQ
    • Command Post (CP of the 1st Air Defence Division)
    • Signals Company
    • Radar Equipment Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair Department
    • Authomatised Combined Radiolocation Node Lomski Fort (Автоматизиран обединен радилокационен възел (аорлв) Ломски форт)
      • Lomski Fort
      • Medkovets, also supporting the 2nd Squadron of the 18th Fighter Air Regiment at Gabrovnitsa Air Base
      • Dobroslavtsi, also supporting the 1st Squadron of the 18th Fighter Air Regiment at Dobroslavtsi Air Base
      • Igralishte
      • Gotse Delchev
    • Combined Radiolocation Node Bozhurishte (Обединен радилокационен възел (орлв) Божурище)
      • Bozhurishte
      • Dobri Dol
      • Lokva
      • Ihtiman
    • Authomatised Combined Radiolocation Node Trud (Автоматизиран обединен радилокационен възел (аорлв) Труд)
      • Radiolocating Node Trud
      • Radiolocating Node Batak
      • Radiolocating Post Chepelare
    • Combined Radiolocation Node Haskovo (Обединен радилокационен възел (орлв) Хасково)
      • Radiolocating Node Haskovo
      • Radiolocating Node Lyubimets
      • Radiolocating Node Fotinovo
      • Radiolocating Node Ivaylovgrad
    • Radiolocation Node Radishevo (Радиолокационен възел (рлв) Радишево), near Pleven
    • Radiolocation Post Dolna Mitropoliya (Радиолокационен пост (рлп) Долна Митрополия), supporting the 3rd Combat Training Air Regiment of the People's Higher Air Force School
    • Radiolocation Post Kamenets (Радиолокационен пост (рлп) Каменец), supporting the 2nd Combat Training Air Regiment of the People's Higher Air Force School

The Bulgarian People's Army radar surveillance units were split between the air force (by far the largest such force), the land forces and the navy. The various levels of units in the AF were a Radio-Technical Brigade (Радиотехническа бригада (ртбр), a single unit - the 1st RTBr.), Radio-Technical Regiment (Радиотехнически полк (ртп)), also a single unit - the 3rd RTRgt.), Authomatised Combined Radiolocating Node (Автоматизиран обединен радилокационен възел (аорлв)), Combined Radiolocating Node (Обединен радилокационен възел (орлв)), Radiolocating Node (Радилокационен възел (рлв)), a deployed reinforced radar company equivalent and a Radiolocating Post (Радилокационен пост (рлп)), a deployed reinforced radar platoon equivalent. While both the Authomatised Combined Radiolocating Nodes and the Combined Radiolocating Nodes were deployed reinforced battalion equivalents, the difference between the two was that the ACRLN processed the data received from all the radar posts within its AOR into targeting data and fed it to the fighter squadrons and the ground-based air defence units. The CRLN and the separate Radiolocating Nodes while administratively independent from the ACRLN, were permanently attached to it operationally. Therefore the two ACRLNs of the 1st RTBr. and the single ACRLN of the 3rd RTRgt. are the predecessors of the the three active Control and Surveillance Zones of the Bulgarian Air Force.

Each unit of the 10th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion was either a Radiolocating Node (радиолокационен възел (рлв), a company equivalent) or a Radiolocating Post (радиолокационен пост (рлп), a platoon equivalent), some of them up-/ downgraded several times, so exact status in 1989 is unclear.

2nd Air Defence Division

• 2nd Air Defence Division, in Yambol, protecting the country's Southeast
  • Ravnets Airfield (near Burgas)
    • 17th Fighter Air Regiment (18ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (18ти ИАП)) (Ravnets Airfield)
      • 1/17th Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-29/UB
    • 53rd Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (53ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (53ти ОАТБ))
    • 15th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (15ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (15ти ОБРСТО))
  • Balchik Airfield (Balchik)
    • 17th Fighter Air Regiment (18ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (18ти ИАП)) (Ravnets Airfield)
      • 2/17th Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-21PFM/US
    • 45th Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (45ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (45ти ОАТБ))
    • 27th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (27ми Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (27ми ОБРСТО))
  • 3rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (3та Зенитно-ракетна Бригада (3та зрбр)), in Burgas, protecting the oil refinery in Burgas, the naval bases in Varna and Burgas, and Eastern Bulgaria
    • Brigade Command and Staff (Burgas)
    • unofficially the Burgas groupment
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Debelt) - S-75M "Volkhov" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Pchela village, near Elhovo) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Chernomorec village, near Sozopol) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Pomorie) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
      • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн)) (Rusokastro village, near Burgas)
    • unofficially the Varna groupment
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Vladislavovo, Varna) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Kamchia village) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Oborishte village) - SA-75 "Dvina" SAM
      • Missile Air Defence Division (зенитно-ракетен дивизион (зрдн)) (Galata village) - S-125 "Neva" SAM
      • Technical Division (технически дивизион (тдн)) (Lyuben Karavelovo village, near Varna)
  • 3rd Radio-Technical Regiment (Cherven Bair area right outside Yambol)
    • Command and HQ
    • Command Post (CP of the 2nd Air Defence Division)
    • Signals Company
    • Radar Equipment Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair Department
    • Authomatised Combined Radiolocation Node Bratovo (Автоматизиран обединен радилокационен възел (аорлв) Братово), right next to Ravnets Air Base
      • Bratovo, also supporting the 1st Squadron of the 17th Fighter Air Regiment at Ravnets Air Base
      • Akhtopol
      • Cape Emine
    • Combined Radiolocation Knot Balchik (Обединен радилокационен възел (орлв) Балчик), Balchik Airbase
      • Balchik, also supporting the 2nd Squadron of the 17th Fighter Air Regiment at Balchik Air Base
      • Kranevo
      • Razgrad
      • Shtraklevo, also supporting the 1st Combat Training Air Regiment of the People's Higher Air Force School
    • Radiolocation Knot Malomir (Радиолокационен възел (рлв) Маломир), Malomir village, south of Yambol

10th Composite Aviation Corps

• Headquarters (Щаб на 10ти Смесен Авиационен Корпус (Щаб 10ти САК)), Plovdiv airfield
• Command Post, Plovdiv airfield
• Kolyu Ganchevo Air Base (Stara Zagora
  )
  • 13th Helicopter Air Regiment of Combat Helicopters (13ти Вертолетен Авиационен Полк - Бойни Вертолети (13ти ВАП - БВ))
    • 1/13th Attack Helicopter Air Squadron, flying Mi-24D
    • 2/13th Attack Helicopter Air Squadron, flying Mi-24D/V
  • 42nd Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (42ри Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (42ри ОАТБ))
  • 21st Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (21ви Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (21ви ОБРСТО))
• Graf Ignatievo Airfield (near Plovdiv)
  • 19th Fighter Air Regiment (19ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (19ти ИАП))
    • 1/19th Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-21bis/UM
    • 2/19th Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-21bis/UM
  • 39th Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (39ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (39ти ОАТБ))
  • 19th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (19ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (19ти ОБРСТО))
• Uzundzhovo Airfield (near Haskovo
  )
  • 21st Fighter Air Regiment (21ви Изтребителен Авиационен Полк (21ви ИАП))
    • 1/21st Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-21MF/UM
    • 2/21st Fighter Air Squadron, flying MiG-21MF/UM
  • 81st Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (39ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (39ти ОАТБ))
  • 21st Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (21ви Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (21ви ОБРСТО))
• Bezmer Airfield (near Yambol)
• 22nd Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (22ри Изтребително-бомбардировъчен Авиационен Полк (22ри ИБАП))
  • 1/22nd Fighter-Bomber Air Squadron, flying Su-25K/UBK
  • 2/22nd Fighter-Bomber Air Squadron, flying Su-25K/UBK
• ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
• 22nd Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (22ри Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (22ри ОБРСТО))
• Cheshnegirovo (Sadovo) Airfield (near Plovdiv)
  • 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (25ти Изтребително-бомбардировъчен Авиационен Полк (25ти ИБАП))
    • 1/25th Fighter-Bomber Air Squadron, flying MiG-23BN/UB
    • 2/25th Fighter-Bomber Air Squadron, flying MiG-23BN/UB
  • ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
  • 25th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (25ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (25ти ОБРСТО))
• Tolbukhin Airfield (present day Dobrich)
  • 26th Reconnaissance Air Regiment (26ти Разузнавателен Авиационен Полк (26ти РАП))
    • 1/26th Reconnaissance Air Squadron, flying MiG-21R/F-13 (R)/US
    • 2/26th Reconnaissance Air Squadron, flying Su-22M4, Su-22UM3K
    • Independent Air Flight for Operational Reconnaissance, flying MiG-25RBT, MiG-25RU
  • 30th Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (30ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (30ти ОАТБ))
  • 26th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (26ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (26ти ОБРСТО))
• Krumovo Airfield (Plovdiv IAP
  )
  • 44th Helicopter Air Regiment (44ти Вертолетен Авиационен Полк (44ти ВАП))
    • 1/44th Helicopter Air Squadron, flying Mi-8T
    • 2/44th Helicopter Air Squadron, flying Mi-17
    • 3/44th Helicopter (Training) Air Squadron, flying Mi-2
  • ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
  • 44th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (44ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (44ти ОБРСТО))
• Troops Aviation Repair Workshop Graf Ignatievo (Войскова Авиационна Ремонтна Работилница - Граф Игнатиево (ВАРР))
• Troops Aviation Repair Workshop Bezmer (Войскова Авиационна Ремонтна Работилница - Безмер (ВАРР))
• Troops Aviation Missile Repair Workshop (Войскова Авиационна Ремонтна Работилница за Ракети (ВАРРР)) (Graf Ignatievo)
• 10th Signals Regiment (10ти Свързочен Полк), in Plovdiv
• 10th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion (10ти Отделен радиотехнически батальон (10ти ОРТБ)), in Krumovo Air Base, Plovdiv (supporting the flight activities of the corps' air regiments, with radar posts located at the airfields)
  • Command and HQ
  • Radar Equipment Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair Department
  • Graf Ignatievo, supporting the 10th Composite Air Corps' Center for Combat Command and Control, separate from and formed after the other radar unit, supporting the 19th FAR
  • Graf Ignatievo, supporting 19th Fighter Air Regiment
  • Uzudzhovo, supporting the 21st Fighter Air Regiment
  • Bezmer, supporting the 22nd Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment
  • Cheshnegirovo, supporting the 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment
  • Tolbukhin, supporting the 26th Reconnaissance Air Regiment
  • Stara Zagora (Kolyu Ganchevo), supporting the 13th Helicopter Air Regiment of Combat Helicopters
  • Plovdiv (Krumovo), supporting the 44th Helicopter Air Regiment

Each unit of the 10th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion was either a Radiolocating Node (радиолокационен възел (рлв), a company equivalent) or a Radiolocating Post (радиолокационен пост (рлп), a platoon equivalent), some of them up-/ downgraded several times, so exact status in 1989 is unclear.

Directorate for Airlift and Special Aviation

In peace time the only airlift unit of the Bulgarian air force was the 16th Transport Air Regiment. The state-owned economy of the country, however, meant that the civil aviation as a whole was in essence an air force auxilliary. Civilian aviation included the

• 16th Transport Air Regiment, Dobroslavtsi Air Base (Sofia) (relocated to Vrazhdebna Airfield around 1993)
  • 1/16th Transport Air Squadron (unofficially Air Landing - десантна), flying An-24, An-26
  • 2/16th Transport Air Squadron (unofficially Air Transport / Liaison - транспортна / свързочна), flying Let L-410UVP-E, An-30, An-2
  • Special Service Flight, flying 2 Tupolev Tu-134 and 1 Yak-40 (based at Vrazhdebna Airfield)

wartime:

• Directorate for Airlift and Special Aviation ^[20]
• airlift aviation
  • Government Detachment 28 (Vrazhdebna Airfield) (comes under military control in wartime) - Peacetime strength: 1 x Tu-154, 2 x Tu-134, 3 x Yak-40, 5 x Mi-8; Wartime strength: 2 x Tu-154, 2 x Tu-134, 4 x Yak-40, 6 x An-2, 6 x Mi-8, 2 x Mi-2^[21]
  • 16th Transport Air Regiment, Dobroslavtsi Air Base (Sofia) - the peacetime 16th Transport Air Regiment, reinforced with mobilized aircraft and personnel from the flag carrier Balkan and the state-owned Special Air Services company (main task was medevac)
  • 17th Transport Air Regiment, Vrazhdebna Airfield - mobilized aircraft and personnel from the flag carrier Balkan
• special aviation
  • 8th Aviation Regiment - Liaison, flying An-2 from the Agriculture Aviation
  • 9th Aviation Regiment - Liaison, flying An-2 from the Agriculture Aviation
  • 10th Sanitary Aviation Regiment, flying An-2 from the Agriculture Aviation
  • 11th Aviation Regiment - Special Purpose, flying An-2 from the Agriculture Aviation
• army aviation complement^[20]
  • 1st Separate Helicopter Squadron - Mi-8, Mi-2 and Ka-26 from the 44th Helicopter Air Regiment, the state-owned Special Air Services company and the Agriculture Aviation
    • 111th Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 112th Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 113th Separate Helicopter Detachment
  • 2nd Separate Helicopter Squadron - Mi-2 and Ka-26 from the 44th Helicopter Air Regiment and the Agriculture Aviation
    • 121st Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 122nd Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 123rd Separate Helicopter Detachment
  • 3rd Separate Helicopter Squadron - Mi-2 and Ka-26 from the 44th Helicopter Air Regiment, the state-owned Special Air Services company and the Agriculture Aviation
    • 131st Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 132nd Separate Helicopter Detachment
    • 133rd Separate Helicopter Detachment

In wartime mobilization the military airlift and special aviation would initially amount up to 186 aircraft and could later increase to as much as 255 airplanes (27 x Tu-154, 21 x Tu-134, 11 x An-24, 5 x An-26, 2 x An-30, 13 x Yak-40, 6 x Il-18, 3 x An-12, 9 x L-410, 158 x An-2) and 65 helicopters (10 x Mi-8, 32 x Mi-2 and 33 Ka-26).

Additionally the 21 aviation clubs of OSO had aircraft of limited military value, which could be pressed into service as courier, aerial surveillance and signals re-translation platforms and their airfields could be used by the special and the army aviation. The most capable aircraft in the inventory of OSO were the An-2s used for parachute training. The aviation clubs trained in:

• motor flying: Central Aviation Club for Flying Excellence in Sofia, aviation clubs in Sofia (separate from the CACFE), Burgas, Varna, Gabrovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Tolbuhin, Mihaylovgrad, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Haskovo
• parachutism: Central Aviation Club for Flying Excellence in Sofia, aviation clubs in Sofia, Kazanlak, Burgas, Varna, Gabrovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Tolbuhin, Mihaylovgrad, Pazardzhik, Ruse, Plovdiv, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Shumen, Kyustendil, Pleven, Popovo, Radomir and Yambol
• glider flying: Central Aviation Club for Flying Excellence in Sofia, aviation clubs in Sofia, Kazanlak, Varna, Mihaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Shumen

The cadets in these aviation clubs started flying solo without instructor on board from the age of 16-17 and those, who decided to make a career in aviation could complete their education and fly An-2 or Yak-40 by the age of 23.

People's Higher Air Force School

The People's Higher Air Force School "

In 1967 the 2nd Combat Training Air Regiment split in two separate combat-training air regiments. The 1st Combat Training Air Regiment relocated to

• People's Higher Air Force School "Georgi Benkovski" (Висше Народно Военновъздушно Училище "Георги Бенковски" (ВНВВУ)) (Dolna Mitropoliya Air Base)
  • Shtraklevo Airfield (near Ruse
    )
    • 1st Combat Training Air Regiment (1ви Учебно-боен Авиационен Полк (1ви УБАП))
      • 1/1st Training Air Squadron, flying L-29 Delfín
      • 2/1st Training Air Squadron, flying L-29 Delfín
      • 3/1st Training Air Squadron, flying L-29 Delfín
    • 34th Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (34ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (34ти ОАТБ))
    • 12th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (12ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (12ти ОБРСТО))
  • Kamenets Airfield (near Pleven)
    • 2nd Combat Training Air Regiment (2ри Учебно-боен Авиационен Полк (2ри УБАП))
      • 1/2nd Training Air Squadron, flying MiG-21PFM/UM
      • 2/2nd Training Air Squadron, flying L-39ZA Albatros
    • ? Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (? Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (? ОАТБ))
    • ? Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (? Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (? ОБРСТО))
  • Dolna Mitropoliya Airfield (near Pleven)
    • 3rd Independent Training Air Squadron (3та Отделна Учебна Авиационна Ескадрила (3та ОУАЕ)), flying L-29 Delfín
    • 49th Independent Aviation Technical Battalion (49ти Отделен Авио-технически Батальон (49ти ОАТБ))
    • 4th Independent Battalion for Signals and Radio- and Lighting Technical Support (4ти Отделен Батальон за Свръзки и Радиосветотехническо Осигуряване (4ти ОБРСТО))
  • Troops Aviation Repair Workshop Dolna Mitropoliya (Войскова Авиационна Ремонтна Работилница - Долна Митрополия (ВАРР))

Air Force and Air Defence Forces Equipment

In 1989 the air force's inventory consisted of:

• 51x MiG-21PFM interceptors, 35x MiG-21MF and 36x MiG-21bis fighters, 33x MiG-21UM two-seat trainers, 6x MiG-21R and 11 obsolete MiG-21F-13(R) reconnaissance aircraft
• 18x Su-22M4, 3x Su-22UM3K
• 7x MiG-23MF, 11x MiG-23ML/MLA and 15x MiG-23MLD fighters, 33x MiG-23BN attack aircraft, 15x MiG-23UB two-seat trainers (8x MiG-23s lost in accidents until 1989)
• 2x
  ELINT-reconnaissance aircraft, 1x MiG-25RU two-seat trainer (single seaters nr. 731 and 754 (a third single-seater nr. 736 lost in 1984), twin seater nr. 51, the three remaining aircraft exchanged with the Soviet Union in 1990 for 5 second hand Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD
  )
• 32x Su-25K attack aircraft, 3x Su-25UBK two-seat trainers
• 12x MiG-29A fighters, 4x MiG-29UB two-seat trainers
• 38x Mi-24D and 6x Mi-24V attack helicopters
• 20x Mi-17 transport helicopters (of them 4 PP variant for EW)
• around 84 L-29 Delfín two-seat trainers
• at 18x L-39ZA Albatros two-seat trainers (another 18 delivered in 1990)
• a further 36x MiG-21bis fighters were delivered in 1990 from Soviet Air Force stocks, 18 each for the conversion of the fighter squadrons in Balchik and Uzundzhovo.
• 14x Mi-2 and 7x Mi-8 helicopters
• 3x An-2, 3x An-24, 5x An-26, 1x An-30, 1x Yak-40, 2x Tu-134, 5x Let L-410UVP-E (of them 1 in photo variant) passenger and transport planes.

The three anti-aircraft missile brigades were equipped with the following air defence systems:

• 20x S-75M Volkhov high-altitude air defence systems
• 30x S-125 Pechora mobile air defence systems
• 25x
  S-200 Vega
  long range air defence systems
• 10x S-300 air defence systems

War Fleet

Adhering to the Soviet military traditions the navy of the Bulgarian People's Army was called the Military Sea Fleet (Военноморски флот (ВМФ)). The merchant marine, which was to mobilize in wartime in support of the regular navy was called Bulgarian Sea Fleet (Български Морски Флот (БМФ)).

• Naval Fleet Staff, in Varna^[22]
  • Electronic Warfare Section (Отделение РЕБ)
    • Independent Electronic Warfare Battalion type "NS" (Отделен батальон тип "НС") (one company type N for jamming of enemy communications and one company type S for jamming of enemy targeting systems)
  • 8th Submarine Division, Varna Naval Base, with 4x Romeo-class submarines (Two were decommissioned without replacement in 1990, one in 1992)
    • 81 "Victory" ("Победа", delivered in 1972, former Soviet S-57), 82 "Victoria" ("Виктория", delivered in 1972, former Soviet S-212), 83 "Hope" ("Надежда", delivered in 1983, former Soviet S-36), 84 "Glory" ("Слава", delivered in 1985, former Soviet S-38) (traditional female names)
  • 2nd Coastal Missile Brigade, south of Varna, with 4K51 Rubezh anti-ship missiles
  • 10th Missile & Torpedo Boat Brigade, in Sozopol (mixed composition of the divisions, the torpedo boats had the dual role to attack enemy vessels with their torpedoes and to provide target acquisition for the missile boats)
    • 122 (Commander's cutter, 10-ton Soviet project 371)
    • 10th Missile & Torpedo Boat Division
      • missile boats Project 205: 101 "Lightning" ("Светкавица", delivered in 1982, former Soviet R-496, improved project 205U); 102 "Hurricane" ("Ураган", delivered in 1977, former Soviet R-169, improved project 205U); 103 "Storm" ("Буря", delivered in 1971, former Soviet R-176?, basic project 205)
      • torpedo boats Project 206: 104 "Eagle" ("Орел"), 105 "Hawk" ("Ястреб"), 106 "Albatross" ("Албатрос")
    • 11th Missile & Torpedo Boat Division
      • missile boats Project 205: 111 "Typhoon" ("Тайфун", delivered in 1982, former Soviet R-496, improved project 205U); 112 "Thunder" ("Гръм", delivered in 1977, former Soviet R-169, improved project 205U); 113 "Whirlwind" ("Смерч", delivered in 1971, former Soviet R-176?, basic project 205)
      • torpedo boats Project 206: 114 "Snow leopard" ("Барс"), 115 "Jaguar" ("Ягуар"), 116 "Panther" ("Пантера")
    • Coastal Base Sozopol (Брегова База Созопол, the brigade's logistic formation)
      • 274 (fireboat project 364 of Soviet build)
  • 25th Signals Regiment, in Varna
  • 63rd Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron, at Chayka (Bulgarian for "seagull") Independent Naval Helicopter Base in Varna (in the Chayka suburb), flying 8x Mi-14PL anti-submarine helicopters (nr. 801, and nr. 810 of the original ten were lost), 1 x Mi-14BT (nr. 811; nr. 812 had been retired in 1986 and the minesweeping equipment removed from 811. Afterwards nr. 811 was used for transport tasks) and 1 x Ka-25C (Hormone-B, nr. 821, used for OTH targeting of the shore-based AShM systems).
  • 65th Maritime Special Reconnaissance Detachment (65-ти Морски Специален Разузннавателен Отряд (65ти МСРО)), in Varna (Tihina) (Navy frogmen)
  • 130mm Coastal Artillery Training Battery, in Varna (in wartime the navy would mobilize the 1st (Varna) and 2nd (Burgas) Coastal Artillery Regiments with 5 batteries each)
  • People's Higher Naval School "Nikola Vaptsarov", in Varna
  • 44th Separate Surveillance and Signals Battalion -
    SIGINT)^[23]
    • 441st Visual Post for Surveillance and Signals (441-ви визуален пост за наблюдение и свръзки (441-ви ВП НиС)) in Ruse
    • 442nd Visual Post for Surveillance and Signals (442-ри визуален пост за наблюдение и свръзки (442-ри ВП НиС)) in Svishtov
    • 443rd Visual Post for Surveillance and Signals (443-ти визуален пост за наблюдение и свръзки (443-ти ВП НиС)) in Vidin
  • Rear (Тил) (logistic services)

• Varna Naval Base, in Varna
  • 2 commander's cutters of project 371
  • 1st Anti-Submarine Ships Division
    • Riga-class frigates: 11 "Bold" ("Дръзки", delivered in 1957, former Soviet Black Sea Fleet SKR-67), 12 "Brave" ("Смели", delivered in 1958, former Black Sea Fleet SKR-53, replaced on Sept 4 1989 by the Koni-class frigate 11 "Brave", this caused renumbering of the Riga-class ships, but they were retired only a year later), 13 "Cheerful" ("Бодри", delivered in 1985, former Soviet Baltic Fleet SKR "Kobchik") (note that "Bold", "Brave" and "Cheerful" are adjectives in plural)
    • Poti-class small ASW ships: 14 "Brave" ("Храбри", delivered in 1975, former Soviet MPK-106), 15 "Fearless" ("Безстрашни", delivered in 1975, former Soviet MPK-125) (note that "Brave" and "Fearless" are adjectives in plural)
  • 3rd Minesweepers Division
    • 31 "Iskar" ("Искър"), 32 "Tsibar" ("Цибър"), 33 "Dobrotich" ("Добротич"), 34 "Captain-Lieutenant Kiril Minkov" ("Капитан-лейтенант Кирил Минков"), 35 "Captain-Lieutenant Evstati Vinarov" ("Капитан-лейтенант Евстати Винаров"), 36 "Captain I Rank Dimitar Paskalev" ("Капитан I-ви ранг Димитър Паскалев") (minehunters project 257D/DME, Soviet second hand, NATO reporting name Vanya)
  • 5th Minesweepers Division (Coastal Base Balchik)
    • 51 - 56 (minehunters of project 1259.2 project "Malachite", NATO reporting name Olya, built in Michurin), 2 auxiliary cutters of project 501 (former auxiliary minesweeping boats) and a commander's cutter of project 371
  • 18th Independent Division of Special Purpose Ships (former 18th Harbour Area Security Ships, includes supply, rescue and support ships and small patrol craft)
    • 300 "General Vladimir Zaimov" ("Генерал Владимир Заимов") (Command ship Bulgarian project 589, built in Ruse, also used for SIGINT of the Turkish Navy)
    • 221 "Jupiter" ("Юпитер") (East German fire-/ tugboat project 700, used as fireboat, salvage tugboat, submarine rescue ship and target tow for the coastal artillery and ships)
    • 401 "Admiral Branimir Ormanov" ("Адмирал Бранимир Орманов") (Polish project 861-МВ hydrographic ship, built in 1977)
    • 206 "Captain I Rank Dimitar Dobrev" ("Капитан І ранг Димитър Добрев") (Polish project 1799 (class 130 for the Soviet Navy) degaussing ship, built in 1988, the modern Polish Navy ship ORP Kontradmirał Xawery Czernicki is a development on the same hull type)
    • 311 "Anton Ivanov", later "Mitsar" and "Anlain" ("Антон Иванов", "Мицар", "Анлайн", Auxiliary transport (replenishment) ship Bulgarian project 102, built in Ruse in 1979, main task was to provide en route replenishment for the Bulgarian ships, committed to the Soviet Navy Operational Mediterranean Squadron)
    • 223 (diving support boat Bulgarian project 245, built in Varna in 1980)
    • 121, 215 and 216 (multirole motor cutters Bulgarian project 160, built in Varna)
    • 1 fireboat type L26, pennant number changed several times (built in Rostock, GDR in 1954-55)
    • 218 and 219 (auxiliary cutters, former minesweeping boats type R376 "Sever")
  • 55th Surveillance and Signals Battalion (55-ти батальон за наблюдение и свръзки) (Radar and
    SIGINT
    ) - information about the structure is incomplete
    • (РТП НиС Шабла)
    • (РТП НиС Калиакра)
    • (РТП НиС Галата)
    • (Хидроакустична станция на Мобилна хидроакустична система тип 407Б - Приемно-индикаторен пост 581 Калиакра (ХАС МГС-407Б ПИП 581 Kaliakrа))
  • Repair Workshop
  • Shore based support units

Atia Naval Base

• Atia Naval Base, east of Burgas (in the 1970s the Burgas Naval Base relocated to Atia with the corresponding change in name)
  • 2 commander's cutters of project 371
  • 4th Small Anti-Submarine Ships Division
    • Poti-class small ASW ships: 41 "Flying" ("Летящи", delivered in 1982, former Soviet MPK-77), 42 "Vigilant" ("Бдителни", delivered in 1982, former Soviet MPK-148), 43 "Persistent" ("Напористи", delivered in 1982, former Soviet MPK-109), 44 "Stern (Rigorous)" ("Строги", delivered in 1975 to Varna, transferred in 1982 to Burgas, former Soviet MPK-59) (note that "Flying", "Vigilant", "Persistent" and "Rigorous" are adjectives in plural)
  • 6th Minesweepers Division
    • 61 "Breeze" ("Бриз"), 62 "Squall" ("Шквал"), 63 "Surf" ("Прибой"), 64 "Storm" ("Щорм") (minehunters project 1265 "Yakhont")
    • 65, 66, 67, 68 (minesweepers project 1258E "Korund", NATO reporting name Yevgenya)
  • 7th Landing Ships Division
    • 701 "Sirius" ("Сириус") and 702 "Antares" ("Антарес") (Polish project 770Е medium tank landing ships, NATO reporting name Polnocny)
    • 703 - 712 (Soviet project 106K small tank landing ship and auxiliary minelayers, practically self-propelled landing barges, built in Ruse and Burgas, NATO reporting name Vydra)
    • (another 14 project 106K small tank landing ships and auxiliary minelayers mothballed after construction and stored by Bulgarian Sea Fleet (the state-owned merchant marine) as wartime mobilization stock)
  • 96th Independent Division of Special Purpose Ships (former 96th Harbour Area Security Ships, includes supply, rescue and support ships and small patrol craft)
    • 301 "Captain Kiril Halachev" ("Капитан Кирил Халачев") (Command ship Bulgarian project 589, built in Ruse)
    • 302 "Bolshevik" ("Болшевик", Auxiliary transport (replenishment) ship Bulgarian project 102, built in Ruse in 1987, main task was to provide en route replenishment for the Bulgarian ships, committed to the Soviet Navy Operational Mediterranean Squadron)
    • 323 (diving support boat Bulgarian project 245, built in Varna in 1980)
    • 331 (torpedo salvage boat Bulgarian project 205, built in Varna in 1980)
    • 312 and 313 (multirole motor cutters Bulgarian project 160, built in Varna)
    • 1 fireboat type L26, pennant number changed several times (built in Rostock, GDR in 1954-55)
    • 57 and 58 (auxiliary cutters, former minesweeping boats type R376 "Sever")
  • Combat Information Post (Боен информационен пост (БИП))
  • 66th Surveillance and Signals Battalion (66-ти батальон за наблюдение и свръзки) (Radar and
    SIGINT
    )
    • Visual Post for Surveillance and Signals 665 Michurin (Визуален пост за наблюдение и свръзки 665 Мичурин (ВП НиС 665 Мичурин))
    • Radio-Technical Post for Surveillance and Signals 664 Maslen nos (Радиотехнически пост за наблюдение и свръзки 664 Маслен нос (РТП НиС 664 Маслен нос))
    • (Групов радиотехнически пост за наблюдение и свръзки 663 Колокита (ГРТП НиС 663 Колокита))
      • (Подвижна радиолокационна станция "Мыс" 668 Колокита (ПРЛС "Мыс" 667 Колокита))
      • (Подвижна радиолокационна станция "Мыс" 669 Колокита (ПРЛС "Мыс" 669 Колокита))
    • Visual Post for Surveillance and Signals 662 Atiya (Визуален пост за наблюдение и свръзки 662 Атия (ВП НиС 662 Атия))
    • Group Radiolocating Post for Surveillance and Signals 661 Emona (Групов радиотехнически пост за наблюдение и свръзки 661 Емона (ГРТП НиС 661 Емона)
      • (Подвижна радиолокационна станция "Мыс" 667 Емона (ПРЛС "Мыс" 667 Емона))
    • Mobile Radiolocating Post 666 Atiya (Подвижен радиотехнически пост 666 Атия (ПРТП "Мыс" 666 Атия)
    • Mobile Radiolocating Station for Counter-Mine Surveillance 671 "Medusa" (Подвижна радиолокационна станция за противоминно наблюдение "Медуза" 671 (ПРЛС за ПМН "Медуза" 671))
    • Mobile Radiolocating Station for Counter-Mine Surveillance 672 "Medusa" (Подвижна радиолокационна станция за противоминно наблюдение "Медуза" 672 (ПРЛС за ПМН "Медуза" 672))
    • Mobile Radiolocating Station for Counter-Mine Surveillance 673 "Medusa" (Подвижна радиолокационна станция за противоминно наблюдение "Медуза" 673 (ПРЛС за ПМН "Медуза" 673))
    • Hydroacoustic Station of the Mobile Hydroacoustic System 407B - Receiving and Indication Post 681 Emona (Хидроакустична станция на Мобилна хидроакустична система тип 407Б - Приемно-индикаторен пост 681 Емона (ХАС МГС-407Б ПИП 681 Емона))
    • Hydroacoustic Station of the Mobile Hydroacoustic System 407B - Receiving and Indication Post 682 Maslen nos (Хидроакустична станция на Мобилна хидроакустична система тип 407Б - Подвижен приемно-индикаторен пост 682 Маслен нос (ХАС МГС-407Б ППИП 682 Маслен нос))
    • 21 wartime mobilization Visual Posts for Counter-Mine Surveillance from Cape Kochan to Michurin
  • Coastal Radiolocation Station "Periscope I" (
    ELINT
    unit)
  • Repair Workshop
  • Shore based support units

Naval Equipment

In 1989 the people's navy's inventory consisted of:

• 4x Romeo-class submarines
• 3x Riga-class frigates (One decommissioned in 1989, two in 1990)
• 1x Koni-class frigate (Commissioned in December 1989)
• 6x Poti-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes
• 1x Pauk-class corvette (Commissioned in 1989, a second Pauk corvette was transferred from the Soviet Union in 1990)
• 6x Osa-class missile boats
• 6x Shershen-class torpedo boats
• 2x Polnocny-class landing ships
• 6x Vanya-class minesweepers
• 4x Yevgenya-class minesweepers
• 4x Sonya-class minesweepers
• 6x Olya-class minesweepers
• 34x R376 type "Yaroslavets" axillary cutters in various configurations

Construction Troops

The Construction Troops (Bulgarian: Строителни войски) were a military formation tasked with labour work for the development of the country. Made up mostly of men from minorities and men deemed unreliable for service in the armed forces the construction troops were organized in seven Construction Divisions: three based in Sofia and one each in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Varna and Pleven.

MAIN DIRECTORATE OF THE CONSTRUCTION TROOPS (Главно управление на Строителните Войски)^[24]

• Command (Командване)
  • Chief of the Main Directorate of the Construction Troops (Началник на Главно управление на СВ)
  • First Deputy-Chief and Chief of the Political Department (Зам.-началник на СВ, той е и началник на Политическо управление на СВ)
  • Deputy-Chief of the Construction Troops in Charge of the Construction Troops (Зам.-началник на СВ по строителството)
  • Deputy-Chief of the Construction Troops in Charge of the Rear (logistics) (Зам.-началник на СВ, той е и началник тил на СВ)
  • Deputy-Chief of the Construction Troops in Charge of the Economical Matters (Зам.-началник на СВ по икономическите въпроси)
• Staff (Щаб)
• Independent Departments and Branches of the MDCT (Самостоятелни управления и отдели в ГУСВ)
• Operational Formations:
  • 1st Construction Mechanized Division (1ва Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (1. СМД)) (Sukhodol, Sofia)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company (Sukhodol, Sofia)
    • Training Battalion (Учебен Батальон) (Golemo Buchino, Pernik Province)
    • Special Battalion (Специален Батальон, for pre-production of building elements) (Sukhodol, Sofia; Pernik and Stanke Dimitrov)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Botevgrad) (battalion and platoon in Botevgrad; battalion in Pravets)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Kyustendil) (battalion in Kyustendil; cadred battalions in Bobov Dol and Stanke Dimitrov, cadred platoon in Tran)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Pernik) (companies and platoons in Pernik, Samokov and the villages around them; cadred battalion in Bornaevo)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Blagoevgrad) (battalions in Blagoevgrad, Sukhodol, Sofia, Petrich, Ilindentsi, cadred companies in Gotse Delchev and at the "Belmeken-Sestrimo" water supply cascade and a platoon at the Rila Monastery)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Sofia (Автомашинен Полк - София) (Sukhodol, Sofia; Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Kyustendil, Samokov and Botevgrad)
  • 5th Construction Mechanized Division (5та Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (5. СМД)) (Pleven)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company and Training Battalion (Pleven)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Roman) (5 battalions and a company in Roman)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Yasen) (battalion in Yasen, companies in Pleven, Lovech, Yasen and Zlatna Panega)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Vratsa) (companies and Vratsa, Vidin, Kozloduy and Slatina, platoon in Boychinovtsi)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Veliko Tarnovo) (two battalions in Veliko Tarnovo, platoon in Svishtov)
    • 5th Construction Regiment (5. Строителен Полк) (Gabrovo) (two battalions and three companies in Gabrovo and the nearby villages)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Pleven (Автомашинен Полк - Плевен) (Yasen) (cadred battalions in Yasen, Roman and Veliko Tarnovo, cadred companies in Yasen and Vratsa)
  • 6th Construction Mechanized Division (6та Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (6. СМД)) (Plovdiv)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company and Training Battalion in Plovdiv, a platoon in Koprivshtitsa
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Sopot) (battalions in Sopot, Kalofer and Karnare, platoon in Klisura)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Panagyurishte) (battalion and company in Panagyurishte, battalion in Elshitsa and a platoon at the Copper Refinery Complex "Medet")
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Smolyan) (battalions in Smolyan and Kardzhali, companies in Pamporovo, Madan and Smilyan)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Plovdiv) (battalion in Plovdiv, companies in Svilengrad, Peshtera and Hisar, platoons in Parvomai and Laki)
    • Independent Construction Battalion (Velingrad) (7 platoons in Velingrad, platoon in Tsvetino and platoon in Yadenitsa)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Plovdiv (5. Автомашинен Полк - Пловдив) (Plovdiv) (companies in Plovdiv, Smolyan, Sopot and Panagyurishte, platoons in Plovdiv and Velingrad)
    • Divisionary Special Company (blacksmith workshop) (Plovdiv)
  • 13th Construction Mechanized Division (13та Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (13. СМД)) (Varna)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company and Training Battalion (Varna)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Devnya) (two battalions in Devnya, battalion in Kipra)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Varna) (battalion and two companies in Varna, battalion in Novi Pazar)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Shumen) (battalion in Shumen, battalion and two companies in Matnitsa)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Devnya)
    • 5th Construction Regiment (5. Строителен Полк) (Smyadovo)
    • Independent Service Regiment - Varna (Отделен Полк – Услуга – Варна) (Varna)
    • Independent Service Regiment - Devnya (Батальон – Услуга – Девня) (Devnya)
    • Independent Service Battalion - Ruse (Батальон – Услуга – Русе) (Ruse)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Varna (Автомашинен Полк - Варна) (Varna) (battalions in Varna, Shumen and Devnya, companies in Varna and Smyadovo)
    • Disciplinary Rehabilitation Battalion (Дисциплинарен изправителен батальон) (Chernevo)
  • 18th Construction Mechanized Division (18та Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (18. СМД)) (Stara Zagora)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company and Training Battalion (Stara Zagora)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Sliven) (two battalions in Sliven, battalion in Bratya Kunchevi)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Burgas) (battalion in Burgas, companies in Primorsko and Malko Tarnovo, platoons in Sarafovo, Grudovo and Vlas)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Kazanlak) (battalion in Kazanlak, battalion in Sheynovo and a battalion at the Buzludzha)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Yambol) (battalion and company in Yambol, battalion in Elhovo)
    • 5th Construction Regiment (5. Строителен Полк) (Radnevo) (battalion in Mednikarevo, companies in Radnevo, Stara Zagora and Yabalkovo and a service company in Troyanovo)
    • Divisionary Service Company - Stara Zagora (Дивизионна Рота – Услуга – Стара Загора) (Stara Zagora)
    • Special Battalion - Stara Zagora (Специален батальон – Стара Загора) (Stara Zagora)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Stara Zagora (Автомашинен Полк - Стара Загора) (Stara Zagora) (battalions in Sliven, Kazanlak and Radnevo, companies in Burgas and Yambol)
    • Disciplinary Rehabilitation Battalion (Дисциплинарен изправителен батальон) (Mednikarevo)
  • 20th Construction Mechanized Division (20та Строителна Механизирана Дивизия (20. СМД)) (Gorublyane, Sofia)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company (Gorublyane, Sofia) and Training Battalion (Chelopechene)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Busmantsi) (battalion and company in Busmantsi, battalion in Bukhovo, platoon in Zhivkovo)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Darvenitsa, Sofia) (three battalions and a company in Darvenitsa)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк МОК "Елаците") (Ravna Reka) (3 battalions at the Mining Refining Complex "Elatsite")
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Chelopech) (two battalions in Chelopech, company in Mirkovo)
    • Special Regiment (Специален полк) (Busmantsi) (two battalions and a company in Busmantsi)
    • Special Regiment (Специален полк) (Chelopechene) (company and platoon in Chelopechene, company in Chelopech)
    • 1st Service Regiment (1. Полк – Услуга) (Bukhovo)
    • 2nd Service Regiment (2. Полк – Услуга) (Sofia)
    • Automobile Machinery Company (Автомашинна Рота) (Chelopechene)
  • 25th Construction Mechanized Division (25. Строителна Механизирана Дивизия) (Sofia) (housing construction)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Company; Training Battalion (Sofia)
    • 1st Construction Regiment (1. Строителен Полк) (Zemlyane, Sofia)
    • 2nd Construction Regiment (2. Строителен Полк) (Obelya, Sofia)
    • 3rd Construction Regiment (3. Строителен Полк) (Boyana - the National Cinema Center, Sofia)
    • 4th Construction Regiment (4. Строителен Полк) (Obelya, Sofia)
    • Special High Construction Battalion (Специален Батальон Батальон за Работа по Високи Обекти) (Zemlyane, Sofia)
    • Automobile Machinery Regiment - Obelya (Автомашинен Полк - Обеля) (Obelya, Sofia)
    • Service Company (Осигурителна Рота) (Lagera, Sofia)
  • Electrical Machinery and Installation Brigade (Електромашинна и монтажна бригада) (Sofia)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Platoon; Heavy Transportation and Mechanization Company (Sofia)
    • 1st Installation Regiment (1. Монтажен Полк) (Sofia)
      • Independent Installation Platoon (Самостоятелен Монтажен Взвод) (Chelopech)
      • 1st Installation Battalion (1. Монтажен Батальон) (Sofia)
      • 2nd Installation Battalion (2. Монтажен Батальон) (Blagoevgrad)
    • 2nd Installation Regiment (2. Монтажен Полк) (Plovdiv)
      • 1st Installation Battalion (1. Монтажен Батальон) (Smolyan)
      • 2nd Installation Battalion (2. Монтажен Батальон) (Sopot)
      • 3rd Installation Battalion (2. Монтажен Батальон) (Sliven)
    • 3rd Installation Regiment (3. Монтажен Полк) (Varna)
      • 1st Installation Battalion (1. Монтажен Батальон) (Devnya)
      • 2nd Installation Battalion (2. Монтажен Батальон) (Shumen)
  • 9th Construction Mechanization Brigade (9. Бригада за строителна механизация) (Chelopechene, Sofia)
    • Command; Staff; Supply Platoon; Construction Platoon (Chelopechene, Sofia)
    • Lift Transport Battalion (Самостоятелен Подемно-транспортен Батальон) (Chelopechene, Sofia)
    • Automobile Machinery Battalion (Самостоятелен Автомашинен Батальон) (Iskar Railway Station)
    • Automobile Machinery Battalion (Самостоятелен Автомашинен Батальон) (Chelopech)
    • Building Materials Mixtures Regiment (Полк за строителни разтвори) (Chelopechene) (concrete mixing trucks)
    • Combined Repair Workshop (Обединена ремонтна работилница) (Chelopechene)
• Support Institutions:
  • Complex Institute for Scientific Research, Development, Project and Implementation Activities of the Construction Troops (Комплексен Институт за Научноизследователска, Развойна, Проектантска и Внедрителска Дейност на Строителни Войски (КИНИРПВД – СВ)) (Sofia)
    • Direction (Направление Научно-изследователска и Развойна Дейност)
    • Direction Laboratories, Experimentation and Implementation (Направление Лаборатории, Експериментиране и Внедряване)
    • Direction Projects (Направление Проектиране)
  • Higher People's Military School for Construction "General Blagoi Ivanov" (Висше Народно Военно Строително Училище (ВНВСУ) "Ген. Благой Иванов") (Sofia)^[25]
    • Intermediate Military Construction Sergeant School (Средно сержантско военно строително училище (ССВСУ))
  • School for Installation Cadres (Школа за монтажни кадри) (Burgas)

Ministry of Interior Affairs

Committee for State Security

The Committee for State Security is the Bulgarian counterpart of the KGB. The two agencies were connected to the extend that the Bulgarian State Security's official designation is literal translation from Russian of KGB and the junior officers graduated training courses at the KGB training facilities in and around Moscow and upon graduation took an oath to serve the Soviet Union before returning to Bulgaria. In a similar fashion to the KGB the personnel of the CSS also had army stile military ranks with the designation suffix "... of State Security" and fulfilled the same functions. The CSS was headed by the First Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs, who was in charge solely of the service.

The most closely connected to the Bulgarian People's Army military units of the CSS were its Third Directorate, which carried out military counter-intelligence duties and its organic Signals Brigade. The KGB had its own signals branch - the Government Communications Troops (Войска правительственной связи (ВПС)). The GCT were completely separate from the signals troops of the Soviet Ministry of Defence. They had two main functions. The first was to provide secure communications for the central Soviet government and the governments of the constituent Soviet republics. The second function was to provide a separate communications network to the armed forces, running from the CPSU's Central Committee down to the political officers and the military counter-intelligence officers in the divisions and separate brigades. The Signals Brigade of the Bulgarian CSS fulfilled only the first function and also due to the difference in scale the CSS did not have its own training institution for government communications troops. As a result the brigade was trained and equipped to BPA standards, manned by personnel, which came from the BPA signals pipeline and took part as a signals brigade of the armed forces in major exercises of the BPA. For that reason when the State Security's Signals Brigade was transferred from the CSS to the BPA on November 10, 1989 this act was just a formality and it became the 75th Signals Brigade of the General Staff, parallell to the 62nd Signals Brigade.

Committee for State Security ^[26]

• Directorates:
  • First Main Directorate - Intelligence
  • Second Main Directorate - Counter-Intelligence
  • Third Directorate - Military Counter-Intelligence
  • Fourth Directorate - Economic Intelligence
  • Fifth Directorate - Directorate "Safety and Protection"
    • 75th Signals Brigade for Government Communications - The brigade originates in the 12th Separate Radio Relay Battalion in Botevgrad. The battalion had the task to provide communications of the Bulgarian government with the governments of the other Warsaw Pact member states and with the administrative districts of Bulgaria. In September 1963 the 75th Signals Regiment - Reserve of the High Command (75-ти Свързочен полк - Резерв на главното командване) was formed in Lovech and in December the 12th Separate RRB was subordinated to it. The mission of the 75th SR was established as follow: - to assist the Signals Department of the State Security's Directorate "Safety and Protection" by providing secure lines for the high-ranking Party and State officials and the organs of the Ministry of Interior Affairs both during peacetime and wartime; - assistance in the building of peacetime communication system for these instititions; - establishing cable, radio, radio-relay and tropospheric communications from stationary and field command posts; - providing government high frequency communications in peacetime and wartime. Ministerial Order #00281 / 5.09.1967 of the Minister of People's Defence transferred the regiment to the Committee for State Security. In 1969 the CSS lost its independent status and came under the Ministry of Interior Affairs. By that time the regiment had a peacetime strength of ca. 420 men and established wartime strength of ca. 1 200 men. On September 1, 1985 the regiment was reorganised into the 75th Signals Brigade - Ministry of Interior Affairs (75-та Свързочна бригада - МВР). Military nummeration was 72500. The new force structure was the following:
      • Command; Staff; Party Political Apparatus; Rear Services; Technical Unit; supporting services
      • combat units
        • 1st Battalion for High Frequency Government Communications (1-ви Батальон за ВЧПС)
          • Command and Staff
          • Signals Knot for HFGC "Don-13"
          • Signals Knot for HFGC "Don-14"
          • Signals Knot for HFGC "Don-15"
          • Radio Relay Company with 5 x R-404 radio systems
        • 2nd Battalion for High Frequency Government Communications (2-ри Батальон за ВЧПС)
          • Command and Staff
          • Radio Relay Company with 6 x R-409 radio systems (since October 1, 1989)
          • Tropospheric Company with 5 x R-412 radio systems
        • 3rd Knot Signals Battalion (3-ти Възлов свързочен батальон)
          • Command and Staff
          • Radio Company
          • Telephone and Telegraph Company
        • 4th Knot Signals Battalion (4-ти Възлов свързочен батальон)
          • Command and Staff
          • Radio Company
          • Telephone and Telegraph Company
        • 5th Tropospheric Battalion (5-ти Тропосферен батальон)
          • Command and Staff
          • 1st Group of Tropospheric [Radio] Stations with 5 x R-410 radio systems
          • 2nd Group of Tropospheric [Radio] Stations with 5 x R-410 radio systems
          • Heavy Cable Laying Company
        • 6th Stationary Signals Battalion (6-ти Стационарен свързочен батальон)
          • Command and Staff
          • 3 x Fundamental Signals Knots (3 опорни свързочни възела)
      • support units
        • Military Orchestra
        • Automobile Transport Platoon
        • Supply Platoon
        • various repair shops
        • storages
        • Utilities Exploitation Unit
        • Medical Post
        • Library
        • Mess
  • Sixth Directorate - political police
    • Direction "Terror"
      • Special Detachment for Counter-Terror (СПБТ) (military unit 72620) - the country's primary counter-terror unit, similar in function to the Alpha Group
• Departments:
  • I Department - investigation and prosecution (since 1979 I Department of Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry)
  • II Department - covert surveillance and inquiry
  • III Department - files and archive
  • IV Department - cypher and communications
  • V Department - combat and mobilisation readiness

Border Troops

The Border Troops (Гранични войски) were a paramilitary formation under the

Until 1946 the Bulgarian border guard was a task of the regular army and each infantry regiment in proximity of the border had a border guard company.[27] In 1946 the new Communist regime formed an independent service, dedicated to the border security on August 10, 1946 as the Border Militsiya, but this name lasted only until October 8, when it was renamed to Border Troops. The service initially numbered 8 Border Sectors (Гранични сектори (ГС)). The service was modeled on the Soviet Border Troops. Unlike them the Bulgarian Border Troops were not part of the State Security service, but subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior (between 1962 and 1972 to the Ministry of People's Defence). The internal structure of the troops was overhauled with ministerial order #44 from March 9, 1950 as follows:

• the highest formations (the Border Sectors) were renamed into Border Detachments (Гранични Отряди (ГО), an equivalent of a motorised rifle regiment in the army, but with a smaller manpower, and increased from 8 to 10)
• the battalion equivalents were renamed from Border Sections to Border Commandatures (Гранични Комендатури (ГК))
• the company equivalents were renamed from Border Subsections to Border Outposts (Гранични Застави (ГЗ))

As a military formation each Border Detachment had its Command, Staff and supporting units. The number of the detachments varied through the Communist Era from 8 sectors at the formation of the Border Troops, to 10 in 1950 and 17 at the height of the service's build-up, to 12 in 1989, of which 1 was a training formation. The organization of the Border Troops, as published by the Committee for Disclosing the Documents and Announcing Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens to the State Security and Intelligence Services of the Bulgarian People's Army (A public commission, authorised by law of the Parliament to study the repressive apparatus of the Communist regime and to establish the connection of individuals to it^[28]) in a collection book of declassified documents, was as follows:^[29]

Directorate of the Border Troops (Управление на Гранични войски (УГВ))

• Headquarters (Щаб, with 11 departments, such as Operations; Combat Training; Communications; Engineering etc.)
• Intelligence Section (Разузнавателно отделение (РО))
  • Intelligence Desk (Разузнаване (Р))
  • Counter-Intelligence Desk (Контраразузнаване (К))
• Political Section (Политическо отделение (ПО), with 8 departments, such as Political Education; Editorial of the Border Troops official magazine; Technical Editorial; Library etc.)
• Rear (Тил, logistical services, 5 departments)
• Training Border Detachment (Учебен Граничен Отряд (УГО)) (Ivaylovgrad, former 18th Border Detachment)
• Sergeant School for Working Dog Handlers (Сержантска школа за инструктори на служебни кучета (СШИСК) (Berkovitsa)
• Supply and Support Battalion (Батальон за Обслужване и Осигуряване (БОО))
• Border Detachments:
  • 1st Border Detachment - Vidin (1ви Граничен Отряд – Видин (1 ГО))
    • including a Border Ships Division (Дивизион Гранични Кораби) for patrols on the Danube river
  • 2nd Border Detachment - Dragoman (2ри Граничен Отряд – Драгоман (2 ГО))
  • 11th Border Detachment - Kyustendil (11ти Граничен Отряд – Кюстендил (11 ГО))
  • 3rd Border Detachment - Petrich (3ти Граничен Отряд – Петрич (3 ГО))
  • 6th Border Detachment -
    Gotse Delchev
    (6ти Граничен Отряд – Гоце Делчев (16 ГО))
  • 4th Border Detachment - Smolyan (4ти Граничен Отряд – Смолян (4 ГО))
  • 5th Border Detachment - Momchilgrad (5ти Граничен Отряд – Момчилград (5 ГО))
  • 13th Border Detachment - Lyubimets (13ти Граничен Отряд – Любимец (13 ГО))
  • 6th Border Detachment - Elhovo (6ти Граничен Отряд – Елхово (6 ГО))
  • 7th Border Detachment - Malko Tarnovo (7ми Граничен Отряд – Малко Търново (7 ГО))
  • 8th Border Detachment - Burgas (8ми Граничен Отряд – Бургас (8 ГО))
    • including a Border Ships Division (Дивизион Гранични Кораби) for patrols on the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline

The border guards were conscripts, which underwent their training at the border detachment they were assigned to. After that those, who have displayed higher skills in the training process were sent to the Training Border Detachment for an NCO course. Of them small numbers were selected for training as working dog handlers at the K-9 Sergeant School. The officer candidates of the Border Troops studied at the Ground Forces Combined Arms Higher School in Veliko Tarnovo and the career development of Border Troops officers was carried out through courses at the Military Academy in Sofia and training institutes of the Soviet Border Troops in the Soviet Union.

Interior Troops

The Interior Troops (

The second installment of the Bulgarian Interior Troops is from 1985 in connection to the Revival Process. A wave of terror attacks in the first half of the 1980s, including a bomb attack on a special passenger train coach for mothers traveling with little children on March 9, 1985 at Bunovo railway station,^[31] organized by the Turkish National-Liberation Movement terror organization, called for the re-establishment of a dedicated counter-insurgency paramilitary force in the structure of the Ministry of the Interior, to deal with the internal terror threat in cooperation with the State Security (Държавна Сигурност (ДС)) and the People's Militsiya (Народна Милиция (НМ)). The Interior Troops were tasked with counter-insurgency in mountainous and woodland terrain, riot control and security of locations of particular and strategic importance. The force was reinstated in 1985 and at the Boyana Roundtable Conference in the first half of 1990 convened between the Bulgarian Communist Party (recently renamed to Bulgarian Socialist Party) and the Union of Democratic Forces to reach an agreement about the reform of the country in light of radical changes in Eastern Europe it was publicly made clear (in response to a question about that), that the Interior Troops number 2 000 men in 6 battalions, plus the SOBT.^[32] The latter however is incorrect. The Specialized Counter-Terrorism Force (abbreviated SOBT in Bulgarian) has from its formation to present day (2017) been the premier counter-terrorism unit of the country, strategically subordinated directly to the Minister of the Interior as an independent agency in its own right. The confusion comes from the fact, that a security regiment of the IT has been based in Vranya, near the former Vrana Palace in barracks recently vacated by the State Security's Fifth Department (Department for Safety and Protection) (Пето управление (Управление за безопасност и охрана (УБО)), the higher state functionaries' close protection service. Since the abolition of the Bulgarian monarchy the palace has been turned into an official residence with permanent presence from the Ministry of the Interior. The battalion in question was the quick reaction paramilitary force for the capital Sofia. In fact the Vranya Battalion and the SOBT are located in adjacent barracks, which causes the confusion. The Interior Troops battalions were organised as rifle battalions with BTR-60s, trucks, automatic rifles, machine guns, mortars and anti-tank rockets. In 1990-91 the Border and the Interior Troops were amalgamated into the Troops of the Ministry of the Interior (Войски на МВР), then separated again. In 1993 the Interior Troops were renamed into Gendarmery, the traditional name from the time of the monarchy, banned after that for their role in hunting down communist partizans. Recently the Gendarmery has been absorbed into the Ministry of the Interior's Main Directorate "National Police" and as of 2017 the former Interior Troops and Gendarmery after that exist in the form of Specialized Police Forces (Специализирани Полицейски Сили) within the National Police. In 1989 they consisted of:

• Interior Troops Directorate (Управление "Вътрешни войски") (Sofia) (Detachment 72300)
  • 1st Independent Operational Security Regiment (1ви Самостоятелен Оперативно-охранителен Полк) (Vrana Palace, Sofia) (Detachment 72345 (44270 before the establishment of the IT))
  • 1st Independent Operational Battalion (1ви Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Kardzhali) (Detachment 72350)
  • 2nd Independent Operational Battalion (2ри Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Razgrad) (Detachment 72355)
  • 3rd Independent Operational Battalion (3ти Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Dzhebel) (Detachment 72360)
  • 4th Independent Operational Battalion (4ти Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Novi Pazar) (Detachment 72365)
  • 5th Independent Operational Battalion (5ти Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Brezovo) (Detachment 72370)
  • 6th Independent Operational Battalion (6ти Самостоятелен Оперативен Батальон) (Burgas) (Detachment 72375)

Ministry of Transport

Troops of the Ministry of Transport

The Ministry of Transport Troops (Войски на Министерството на транспорта (ВМТ)) were a paramilitary formation divided into railway construction brigades and automobile transportation brigades tasked with the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure. In case of war the Transport Troops would have come under the Ministry of People's Defence.

Committee for Posts and Long Distance Messaging

Troops of the CPLDM

The Posts and Telecommunications Committee Troops (Войски на Комитета по пощи и далекосъобщения (ВКПД)) were a paramilitary formation tasked with building and maintaining the communication infrastructure of state institutions, including phone lines, TV towers, civil air traffic communications, etc. In war time the troops would have fallen under the Ministry of People's Defence.

Separate Regiment for Communications Construction (Отделен полк за свързочно строителство (ОПСС)), in the Chelopechene suburb of Sofia near Kremikovtsi (military unit 68050, the regiment had a total strength of 662 people in total)

• Regimental HQ
• 1st Separate Communication Lines Construction Battalion
• 2nd Separate Communication Lines Construction Battalion
• 3rd Separate Communication Lines Construction Battalion
• High Frequency Signals Equipment Supply Platoon
• Transport, Repair and Security Company
• Training Center
• support units

In 2000 in line with the reforms for the civilian transformation of the Construction Troops, the Troops of the MT and the Troops of the CPLDM the regiment became the State-owned Company Communications Construction and Replenishment.

References