Bulgarian Navy Frigate Can Join NATO Libya Mission April 15

Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov says the Cabinet will decide next week to send a frigate to join NATO's United Protector mission. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Cabinet will most likely take the political decision to join NATO's Operation "United Protector" patrolling off Libya's coast to enforce a UN arms embargo, Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov has announced.

Gen. Angelov confirmed his statements made earlier this week that the Bulgarian Navy has started to prepare one of its frigates, "Drazki" (i.e. "Daring"), to take part in the NATO naval mission off the Libyan coast, awaiting for the political decisions of the Bulgarian government.

Speaking in Sofia Friday at a press briefing, the Defense Minister said the preparation had been started in order not to waste time.

He did announce, however, that the Bulgarian frigate will be able to join NATO's United Protector mission on April 15 at the earliest.

Angelov emphasized that NATO has just taken over the command of Operation Odyssey Dawn started on March 19 by key Western countries - most importantly, the USA, France, and the UK - to enforce the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya against dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The transfer of the operation command to the NATO structures became possible after Turkey, a key Alliance member, agreed Thursday night to lift its objections.

The Bulgarian Defense Minister said NATO will continue to carry out the no-fly zone operation in Libya in cooperation with the other partners in the ad-hoc coalition - namely, the several Arab states that joined in.

He underscored that United Protector, the effort in which the Bulgarian frigate Drazki will take part, is a "pure" NATO naval operation separate from Operation Odyssey Dawn, and mentioned once again that the Bulgarian Air Force does not have the capacities to contribute to the latter.

In 2009, Bulgaria purchased three second-hand frigates from Belgium - Drazki, Gordi ("Proud"), and "Verni" ("Faithful") and the Tsibar minesweeper. Interestingly, one of the frigates, Gordi, under the name F910 Weilingen as part of the Belgian Navy took part in the UN maritime embargo against Iraq - Operation Southern Breeze during the First Gulf War - in 1990-1991 - a naval operation similar to the one in Libya.

In addition to sending in the Drazki frigate, Bulgaria has confirmed its readiness to send two medical teams for a humanitarian operation on the ground in Libya. Gen. Angelov made it clear that no other forms of Bulgarian participation in Libya have been discussed.

If it sends in its frigate, Bulgaria will be following Romania, whose President Traian Basescu announced on Tuesday that his country will participate in the NATO naval operation off Libya's coast with the King Ferdinand frigate. The Romanian frigate will be manned by 205-member crew.

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