Belgium Transfers Minehunter to Bulgaria to Increase Black Sea Security
Belgium completed the official handover of one of its older minehunters to Bulgaria as part of a pact between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria designed to increase security capabilities in the Black Sea. While the agreement dates to July 2026, the recent Russian attacks on commercial shipping have further raised awareness of the need to increase NATO capabilities in the Black Sea.
The three countries announced the Tripartite Agreement on July 8, 2026, calling for the transfer of a total of seven minehunters, mostly dating from the late 1980s, to Bulgaria. Belgium will be transferring a total of four vessels while the Netherlands will supply three. They follow three earlier vessels of the same class that went to Bulgaria between 2009 and 2011.
Bulgaria has been working alongside Romania and Turkey to control mines in the Black Sea since the start of the war in Ukraine. The three countries partnered for mine patrols and clearance in an effort that continues. Bulgarian officials highlighted that these new vessel transfers will strengthen the capabilities of its navy to detect and neutralize mine threats in the Black Sea region.
The first of the transfers took place on October 30 at the Naval Base in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The former Belgian Bellis (M916), commissioned in 1986, was officially handed over to Bulgaria. They conducted a transfer of flags ceremony, and Bulgaria renamed the vessel Briz. After the necessary preparations, the vessel will be based at the Burgas Naval Base in Bulgaria.
"By transferring the ship to Bulgaria, a proven capability remains operationally deployable within NATO," said Lieutenant General Bernard Phaleg, Director General of Material Resources and National Armaments Director for Belgium. "In this way, we strengthen an ally, support security in the Black Sea region, and ensure that the investments and expertise built up over decades continue to prove their value."
All seven of the vessels are from the Tripartite class, a shared design developed between France, Belgium, and the Netherlands in the 1980s. France continues to operate eight of the vessels known as the Éridan class, while the Bellis and three sisters, all going to Bulgaria, will be the last of the class for Belgium. It had previously transferred another one of the ships to Bulgaria, one to Ukraine, and sold one to Pakistan. The Netherlands will be sending its final three ships of the class to Bulgaria in 2027-2028 after having also sent vessels to Bulgaria, Ukraine, Pakistan, and Latvia.
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The ships are approximately 600 tons displacement and measure approximately 52 meters (169 feet) in length. A total of 40 vessels were built in the class, and the remaining ones mostly had their systems upgraded in the early 2000s.
Belgium and the Netherlands are replacing the vessels with a new generation of mine countermeasure vessels. The new ships will incorporate systems including advanced unmanned capabilities and sensors.
