Country catalog

Bulgaria Weapons and Military Equipment

Browse 32 weapon systems built or assembled in Bulgaria, including aircraft & uavs, air defense, and related systems, with images, specifications, source notes, and conflict records.

32 weapon systems

32Catalog records

6Equipment categories

8Leading builders shown

8Conflict links shown

Category Mix

Aircraft & UAVs1 Air Defense1 Armored Vehicles1 Artillery1 Infantry Weapons9 Munitions19

Builder Links

Arsenal JSCo8 Soviet5 VMZ Sopot4 Soviet state arsenals3 STV Group3 Arcus JSC2 Bulgarian ordnance industry2 Russian defense industry2

Conflict Coverage

2014 Russia-Ukraine War112009 Boko Haram Insurgency72003 Iraq War32011 Syrian Civil War32013 War in Iraq32014 Second Libyan Civil War32014 Yemen Civil War32012 Mali War2

SAMJET, Loitering munition / one-way attack UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

SAMJETLoitering munition / one-way attack UAVBuilt by: Samel-90SAMJET is a Bulgarian loitering munition and one-way attack UAV produced by Samel-90. Official material describes an electric, rocket-launched family with SAMJET-L camera/datalink control and SAMJET-M coordinate-attack modes, while Janes reported its HEMUS 2024 debut as Samel-90's Bulgarian-designed one-way attack UAV proposal.

ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air Defense

2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +3 moreZU-23-2Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannonBuilt by: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Various manufacturersThe ZU-23-2 is a Soviet twin 23 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon built around two 2A14 guns on a light carriage. Its manual sighting, rapid emplacement, and high volume of fire make it a close-range air-defense weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, while many operators also use it for direct fire against light vehicles and infantry positions. Ukrainian forces have used ZU-23-2 guns in mobile and positional air-defense teams during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Armenian-side losses in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting included towed and vehicle-mounted ZU-23 guns, and conflict monitors documented ZU-23 or ZU-23-2-pattern use in Yemen, Tigray, and northern Mali.

BMP-23, Infantry fighting vehicle, Armored Vehicles

2003 Iraq WarBMP-23Infantry fighting vehicleBuilt by: TEREM Joint Stock CompanyThe BMP-23 is a Bulgarian tracked infantry fighting vehicle built around a 2S1 Gvozdika and MT-LB-derived chassis, a domestic two-person turret, and a 23 mm 2A14 cannon. Public specialist sources place BMP-23-family vehicles with Bulgarian coalition security forces in Iraq, while stronger technical sources document the vehicle's Bulgarian service, variants, production totals, and carried missile fit.

Tundzha, 120 mm self-propelled mortar carrier, Artillery

2014 Russia-Ukraine WarTundzha120 mm self-propelled mortar carrierBuilt by: Bulgarian productionTundzha is a Bulgarian 120 mm self-propelled mortar carrier that mounts a PM-43/M-120 or 2B11-family mortar in an MT-LB tracked chassis. The vehicle gives a heavy mortar crew armored mobility, onboard ammunition, and the ability to fire through roof hatches before relocating, with Ukrainian combat use documented during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Arsenal AR-M9 / AR-M9F, 5.56 x 45 mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

2014 Yemen Civil WarArsenal AR-M9 / AR-M9F5.56 x 45 mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifleBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe Arsenal AR-M9 and folding-stock AR-M9F are Bulgarian 5.56 x 45 mm Kalashnikov-pattern assault rifles built by Arsenal JSCo for export and military users. Open-source arms researchers documented fixed-stock AR-M9 rifles with UAE-trained pro-government Yemeni resistance fighters at Al-Anad Air Base and an AR-M9F with a Sudanese coalition soldier in Yemen, placing the family inside Gulf-backed coalition equipment flows during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.

AKKS rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons

2011 Sinai Insurgency, 2011 Syrian Civil WarAKKS rifle7.62x39mm assault rifleBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe AKKS is the folding-stock Bulgarian AKK, a milled-receiver AK/AKS-47-pattern assault rifle from Arsenal's Kazanlak production lineage. Its conflict record is narrow and evidence-based: sources identify Bulgarian AKKS rifles in Islamic State captured-materiel contexts in Kobane in 2015 and the Sinai insurgency in 2017, not as proof of broad routine battlefield issue.

ATGL-L, 40 mm reusable anti-tank grenade launcher family, Infantry Weapons

2014 Russia-Ukraine WarATGL-L40 mm reusable anti-tank grenade launcher familyBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe ATGL-L is Arsenal JSCo's Bulgarian 40 mm reusable anti-tank grenade launcher family, built around a lightweight recoilless launcher and RPG-7V/ATGL-L-compatible ammunition. The ATGL-L3 variant entered documented Ukrainian service when Come Back Alive supplied 1,000 launchers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the 2023 offensive campaign.

Arcus 40 UBGL, 40x46 mm under-barrel grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons

Arcus 40 UBGL40x46 mm under-barrel grenade launcherBuilt by: Arcus JSCThe Arcus 40 UBGL is a Bulgarian 40x46 mm under-barrel grenade launcher made by Arcus JSC for Kalashnikov-pattern rifles, with official listings describing AK-47/AK-74 mounting, M406-type low-velocity grenades, and a 400 m effective range.

SPG-9, 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, Infantry Weapons

2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +3 moreSPG-973 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gunBuilt by: Soviet state arsenals / Arsenal JSCo / RomarmThe SPG-9 is a Soviet 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, known in some references as Kopye, that fires rocket-assisted HEAT and HE-fragmentation projectiles from a crew-served launcher. Accepted into Soviet service in 1962 and exported widely, it was designed as an anti-armor weapon but still appears in conflicts as a flexible direct- and indirect-fire support system.

MON-50, Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine, Infantry Weapons

2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Second Libyan Civil WarMON-50Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mineBuilt by: Soviet / Russian defense industryThe MON-50 is a Soviet directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine broadly comparable in role to the M18 Claymore, with a plastic body, folding legs, and a forward fragmentation pattern. It can be command-detonated or configured with tripwire and other fuzing, making it a compact infantry obstacle and ambush munition. Direct monitoring sources document MON-50 use by Russian or Russian-aligned forces in eastern Ukraine, the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War, and the 2019-2020 Tripoli fighting in Libya.

MON-90, Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine, Infantry Weapons

2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Second Libyan Civil WarMON-90Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mineBuilt by: Soviet / Russian defense industryThe MON-90 is a Soviet-designed directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine and the 90 m member of the MON family between the smaller MON-50 and larger MON-100. Technical references describe a plastic-bodied, tree-spike-mounted mine with about 2,000 steel fragments, two M-10 threaded fuze wells, and command or tripwire initiation depending on setup. Direct monitoring sources place MON-90 mines in Russian use in Ukraine after the 2022 invasion and in Russian-linked Tripoli mine contamination during the Second Libyan Civil War.

RPG-22, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons

1979 Soviet-Afghan War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +2 moreRPG-22Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt by: Bazalt / VMZ SopotThe RPG-22 Netto is a Soviet disposable anti-tank rocket launcher developed as a larger-caliber successor to the RPG-18, firing a 72.5 mm HEAT rocket from a telescoping aluminum-and-fiberglass tube. Open-source documentation places it in Soviet-Afghan War service, Islamic State inventories in Syria and Iraq, and both Ukrainian and Russian-linked hands during the Russia-Ukraine War.

RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons

2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hamas War +4 moreRPG-7Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt by: Various manufacturersThe RPG-7 is a Soviet-origin reusable shoulder-fired rocket launcher built around a simple 40 mm launch tube and a wide family of over-caliber anti-armor, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds. Its low cost, portability, and large global stock make it a common infantry anti-armor and assault weapon, including documented Ukrainian service, Hamas use in Gaza, ISWAP use in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, and insurgent use in Afghanistan.

OGi-7MA RPG round, 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG round, Munitions

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2014 War Against the Islamic State +1 moreOGi-7MA RPG round40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG roundBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe OGi-7MA is a Bulgarian 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation round for RPG-7V-family launchers and Arsenal's ATGL-L recoilless guns. Arsenal describes it as an improved, pre-fragmented anti-personnel round with more than 1,250 fragments and AF76 or AF72 point-detonating fuzes, while conflict reporting places it with Boko Haram factions in the Lake Chad basin, Islamic State forces in north-east Syria, and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.

RTB-7MA RPG round, 40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchers, Munitions

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2014 Russia-Ukraine WarRTB-7MA RPG round40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchersBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe RTB-7MA is a Bulgarian 40/106 mm thermobaric round for RPG-7-family launchers, built around a GTB-7MA warhead, CP-73 booster, SM-71 sustainer motor, and AF-76 point-detonating fuze. Product data frames it as an anti-personnel and anti-materiel round for shelters, fortifications, buildings, light armored vehicles, and automobiles, while open-source reporting places it with Boko Haram- and ISWAP-linked materiel in Nigeria and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.

RHEAT-7MA2 RPG round, 40/73 mm HEAT round for RPG-7V-pattern launchers, Munitions

2009 Boko Haram InsurgencyRHEAT-7MA2 RPG round40/73 mm HEAT round for RPG-7V-pattern launchersBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThe RHEAT-7MA2 is a Bulgarian 40/73 mm high-explosive anti-tank round for RPG-7V-pattern launchers. Official brochures describe it as an improved, modernized anti-tank round that can defeat tanks, self-propelled guns, and other armored vehicles, while also being used against troops and field fortifications.

OG-15V round, 73 mm HE-fragmentation round for 2A28 Grom, Munitions

OG-15V round73 mm HE-fragmentation round for 2A28 GromBuilt by: Soviet state arsenals / Russian Federation producers / STV Group / Bulgarian producersThe OG-15V round is a Soviet-origin 73 mm high-explosive fragmentation projected grenade for the 2A28 Grom low-pressure cannon. It gives BMP-1-family 2A28 installations a dedicated anti-personnel and field-fortification round, distinct from the PG-15V HEAT ammunition that dominated the gun's early loadout.

PG-15V round, 73 mm HEAT round for the 2A28 Grom, Munitions

PG-15V round73 mm HEAT round for the 2A28 GromBuilt by: Soviet state arsenals / VMZ Sopot / STV GroupThe PG-15V is a Soviet 73 mm HEAT round for the 2A28 Grom low-pressure gun, using a PG-9 or PG-15 rocket projectile with a shorter 2A28 propelling charge than SPG-9 PG-9V ammunition. This page stays relationship-only because the available sources support ammunition identity and compatibility rather than exact conflict use of the round itself.

82mm Mortar Round VO-832DU, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb / mortar round, Munitions

2003 Iraq War, 2015 Various Conflicts82mm Mortar Round VO-832DU82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb / mortar roundBuilt by: Arcus JSCThe VO-832DU is a Bulgarian 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb sold by Arcus JSC for 82 mm smooth-bore mortars, including the 2B14 Podnos. The record also tracks closely related O-832DU-family evidence: NARA/DVIDS documents Bulgarian O-832DU rounds in an 2003 Iraq War weapons cache, while GICHD's Ukraine ordnance guide identifies the improved 53-O-832DU version in its 82 mm O-832 entry.

MT-12 100 mm ammunition suite, 100 mm fixed ammunition family for MT-12 and T-12 smoothbore anti-tank guns, Munitions

2014 Russia-Ukraine WarMT-12 100 mm ammunition suite100 mm fixed ammunition family for MT-12 and T-12 smoothbore anti-tank gunsBuilt by: Soviet ordnance industry / Bulgarian ordnance industryThe MT-12 100 mm ammunition suite covers fixed rounds documented for the MT-12 and T-12 smoothbore anti-tank guns, from 3UBK-10 / 9M117 guided ammunition to sub-caliber, hollow-charge, and HE-fragmentation rounds. Public conflict evidence is narrow but direct: Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade footage in July 2022 showed Bulgarian-made 100 mm 3UBK2 HEAT-FRAG projectiles being loaded into an MT-12 Rapira.

3UOF17 100 mm high-explosive round, 100 mm HE-Frag unitary round, Munitions

3UOF17 100 mm high-explosive round100 mm HE-Frag unitary roundBuilt by: Soviet / Russian ordnance industryThe 3UOF17 is a 100 mm high-explosive fragmentation round for the 2A70 low-pressure gun-launcher used by BMP-3-family vehicles. Specialist ammunition references identify it as a nose-fuzed, spin-stabilized unitary round and list it alongside the BMP-3, BMD-4, and BTR-90M ammunition sets, making it the principal unguided 100 mm explosive round associated with those gun-launcher installations.

53-OF-843B mortar bomb, 120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, Munitions

53-OF-843B mortar bomb120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bombBuilt by: Soviet / Bulgarian ordnance industryThe 53-OF-843B is a Soviet-designed 120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb cataloged today as the VOF-843B. Public references place it in the 2B11 and 2S12 Sani mortar family, describe a steel or cast-iron bodied round with a point-detonating fuze, and cite roughly 16 kg mass with about 1.4-1.6 kg of explosive fill.

120 mm round with thermobaric bomb, 120 mm thermobaric mortar round, Munitions

120 mm round with thermobaric bomb120 mm thermobaric mortar roundBuilt by: VMZ SopotThe 120 mm round with thermobaric bomb is a Bulgarian VMZ Sopot thermobaric mortar round for 120 mm mortar tubes, documented through manufacturer and distributor product sources rather than direct conflict-use reporting. VMZ lists a V-RM fuze, PTBS thermobaric filling, 1.85 kg explosive charge, 5,840 m maximum range, and compatibility with PM-38, PM-43, M-120, and 2B11 mortars.

9M22U / M-21OF Grad rocket, 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket, Munitions

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2014 Second Libyan Civil War +1 more9M22U / M-21OF Grad rocket122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocketBuilt by: State Research and Production Association Splav / licensed producersThe 9M22U / M-21OF is the standard Soviet 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket associated with the BM-21 Grad family. Missilery identifies it as the M-21OF unguided rocket and traces licensed production to Bulgaria, Romania, and Czechoslovakia, while direct conflict sources document 9M22U use in Libya, Mali, and northeast Nigeria.

HS30 jamming round, 152 mm electronic warfare artillery round, Munitions

HS30 jamming round152 mm electronic warfare artillery roundBuilt by: Samel-90HS30 jamming round is a Bulgarian 152 mm single-use artillery radio jammer marketed by Samel-90. Public product material says the shell is fired like ordinary HE cargo ammunition, separates over the target area, deploys a parachute and antenna, and then jams tactical HF/VHF radios for about an hour; 2A65 ammunition listings also name HS30 among the projectiles that howitzer can fire.

152 mm round for Giatsint howitzer, 152 mm Frag-HE artillery round, Munitions

152 mm round for Giatsint howitzer152 mm Frag-HE artillery roundBuilt by: Transmobile Ltd.Transmobile's 152 mm round for Giatsint howitzer is a Bulgarian-listed Frag-HE artillery round for the 2A36 Giatsint-B and 2A37 Giatsint-S guns. Its product data gives a 43.56 kg OF-45 projectile, 864 m/s muzzle velocity, 6,500 to 24,700 m range, and an RGM-2 PD fuze; separate 3OF29 references are kept as Giatsint-family context, not as proof that the Transmobile round carries that designation.

COPSIS SL universal silent system, Fireless mine and grenade launching system, Munitions

COPSIS SL universal silent systemFireless mine and grenade launching systemBuilt by: Transmobile Ltd.COPSIS SL is a Bulgarian fireless mine-and-grenade launching system from Transmobile Ltd. The manufacturer lists it for covert straight-shot or ballistic-arc fire, while Janes describes the launcher as a lightweight spigot system using modified RPG-7-series projectiles and a probable captive-piston firing method that contains launch gases, smoke, and noise inside the round.

P-50-75 practice bomb, Practice bomb, Munitions

P-50-75 practice bombPractice bombBuilt by: DunaritThe P-50-75 is a Bulgarian practice aviation bomb family made by Dunarit for aircrew bombing drills, bomb-suspension practice, and technical-staff training. Atlas lists metal-body P-50-75, concrete-body P-50-75D, and night-charge options, while Aero-linked L-39NG reporting documents the aircraft dropping P-50-75 bombs during basic weapons tests.

PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, Munitions

1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, 2014 War Against the Islamic State +2 morePG-7VM rocket-propelled grenadeRPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade roundBuilt by: VMZ Sopot / STV GroupThe PG-7VM is an RPG-7-compatible high-explosive anti-tank round built around the smaller PG-7M-class shaped-charge grenade. VMZ Sopot and STV Group publish closely aligned data for a roughly 1.97 kg round with a 300 m direct-fire range, 500 m sighting range, and about 300 mm armor penetration; conflict evidence documents the round in PKK, Islamic State, and Iraqi insurgent stocks, usually as seized or photographed ammunition rather than a named firing incident.

Bulgarian-manufactured RPG projectile, RPG-7-compatible anti-tank projectile, Munitions

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2023 Israel-Hamas WarBulgarian-manufactured RPG projectileRPG-7-compatible anti-tank projectileBuilt by: Arsenal JSCoThis entry covers Bulgarian-made RPG-7-compatible projectiles where public conflict reporting identifies Bulgarian origin but not always a precise model. Arsenal lists the RHEAT-7MA6 as a 40/90 mm HEAT round for RPG-7V and ATGL-L launchers, while open reporting has identified Bulgarian RPG rounds in both ISWAP material and Hamas-held weapons in Gaza.

5.45×39 mm cartridge, Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions

5.45×39 mm cartridgeSoviet intermediate rifle cartridgeBuilt by: SovietThe 5.45×39 mm cartridge is a Soviet intermediate rifle round developed for the AK-74 family and adopted in 1974 as the smaller-caliber successor to the 7.62×39 mm Kalashnikov ammunition line. This relationship-only entry covers official C.I.P. dimensions, service-load variants, and cataloged rifles or squad automatic weapons that fire the cartridge without inheriting conflict-use claims from those parent weapons.

RPG high-explosive rounds, Unguided rocket-propelled grenade ammunition, Munitions

2017 Battle of MarawiRPG high-explosive roundsUnguided rocket-propelled grenade ammunitionBuilt by: Various manufacturers, including Bulgarian producers VMZ Sopot and Arcus; Russian OG-7V examples are cataloged by RosoboronexportRPG high-explosive rounds are unguided explosive or fragmentation projectiles fired from reusable rocket-propelled grenade launchers, especially RPG-7-family weapons. The Marawi recovery source identifies high-explosive RPG rounds but not the exact model, so this page treats the record as a family-level munition entry and uses OG-7V, OFG-7V, and similar RPG-7-compatible rounds as representative technical examples.