Bulgarian Armed Forces
| Bulgarian Army | |
| File:BGgerb2.gif Coat of Arms of Bulgaria | |
| Military Manpower | |
| Military age |
18 years and older |
| Availability (males age 15-49) |
1,913,857 (2000 est.) |
| Fit for military service (males age 15-49) |
1,599,379 (2000 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually (males) |
57,461 (2000 est.) |
| Total active troops | 51,000 (Ranked 67th) |
| Military expenditures Figures do not include expenditure for military pensions. | |
| (FY 2004) | $503 million |
| Percent of GDP (FY 2004) | 2.5% |
| Military strength | |
| To be added | |
The Bulgarian Army (Bulgarian: Българска армия) represents the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. Commander-in-Chief is the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov. The Ministry of Defence is in charge of political leadership while miliary command remains in the hands of the General Staff, headed by the Chief of Staff. Operational elements of the the Bulgarian Army include: Bulgarian Land Forces (army), Bulgarian Navy (navy), and the Bulgarian Air Forces (air force).
The patron saint of the Bulgarian Army is St. George, and Valor Day (May 6, also known as St. George's Day) has long been celebrated as Valor and Army Day. It is an official holiday in Bulgaria.
After the country became a NATO member in April 2004, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has begun a new downsizing, modernization, and reform program (known as PLAN 2004) that will result in the adoption of a smaller force structure of around 50,000 personnel, based upon a rapid reaction force and two additional corps headquarters, all with subordinate brigades.
General Staff
Currently headed by Chief of Staff General Nikola Kolev, the General Staff is responsible for the military and operational command of the Bulgarian Army and its 3 major branches.
Land Forces
The Land Forces are functionally divided into Active and Reserve Forces. Their main functions include deterrence, defense, peace support and crisis management, humanitarian and rescue missions, as well as social functions within Bulgarian society.
The Active Forces mainly have peacekeeping and defensive duties, and are further divided into Deployment Forces, Immediate Reaction, and Main Defense Forces. The Reserve Forces comprise of Enhancement Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, and Training Grounds. They deal with planning and reservist preparation, armaments and equipment storage, training of formations for active forces rotation or increase in personnel.
During peacetime the Land Forces maintain permanent combat and mobilization readiness. They become part of multinational military formations in compliance with international treaties Bulgaria is a Party of, participate in the preparation of the population, the national economy and the maintenance of wartime reserves and the infrastructure of the country for defense.
In times of crisis the Land Forces' main tasks relate to participation in operations countering terrorist activities and defense of strategic facilities (such as nuclear power plants and major industrial facilities), assisting the security forces in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal armaments traffic and international terrorism.
In case of low- and medium-intensity military conflict the Active Forces that are part of the Land Forces participate in carrying out the initial tasks for the defense of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.
In case of a military conflict of high intensity the Land Forces, together with the Air Force and the Navy, form the defense group of the Bulgarian Army aiming at countering aggression and protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.