Bulgaria has requested fighter jets, anti-drone systems and additional forces from NATO on its territory after a series of attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. The request has been sent to the Secretary General of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, and to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Command for Operations, announced Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
„We have sent letters and a request to the Secretary General of NATO and the Supreme Commander, with which we insist on strengthening our capabilities, including by deploying additional forces on our territory. We await their decision,” Stoyanov said, quoted by Reuters.
What assistance is realistic to come first
The fastest support could be related to intelligence, surveillance and data exchange. The Bulgarian government has requested greater radar coverage along the coast and in the exclusive economic zone, as well as strengthening air defense. This would mean better detection and tracking of air and sea drones, but not automatically providing a military escort for every merchant ship.
Additional anti-drone assets, including systems for detecting, jamming and neutralizing low-flying aircraft, could be provided or temporarily deployed. The Bulgarian request also includes fighter jets, but their deployment would require a decision by allies. NATO will discuss the issue at ambassadorial level next week.
Why Article 5 is not automatically triggered
The attacks were carried out against merchant ships in the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania. These zones give the coastal state certain economic rights, but are not equivalent to territorial waters. Moreover, there is currently no public evidence that would definitively identify the perpetrator.
This is one reason why Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is not expected to be automatically triggered. The provision refers to an armed attack against a member state, but the assessment of whether a specific incident falls under its scope is political and is made by the Allies. In this case, the more likely immediate mechanism is an Article 4 consultation, which allows a member state to raise a matter affecting its security with the North Atlantic Council.
What's next for Bulgaria
Mark Rutte said after his meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Romanian President Nikusor Dan that NATO will continue to work with the countries of the Black Sea region and will adapt its defense posture as the situation develops. This is a political commitment to strengthen the presence and coordination, but does not constitute a concrete promise to immediately deploy a certain number of aircraft or batteries.
In parallel with the short-term request, Bulgaria expects to join NATO's “Drone Edge“ initiative by October 30. The alliance announced that allies will invest over $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years. Sofia also plans to acquire 20 anti-drone systems through the European SAFE mechanism, for which 80 million euros have been earmarked.
Until a final decision by NATO, Bulgaria relies mainly on its own forces, intensive monitoring and coordination with Romania and Turkey. A significant change would come in the event of a proven origin of the drones, a new attack on the territory or armed forces of an Alliance country, or a direct threat to shipping in territorial waters.
Sources: apnews.com, defensenews.com, bntnews.bg