Bulgarian naval forces will receive a wide range of diving equipment and unmanned underwater vehicles, the press service of the Navy headquarters in Varna announced, reports Darik.
 
The Admiralty project was approved at a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs / Defense Council when considering a second package of projects under the "Permanently Structured Cooperation" initiative. A total of 17 projects were selected for participation, including the proposal of the Bulgarian Navy to create a "Modular element for rapid deployment for underwater interventions".
 
The project has been identified as a priority for building the EU's defense capabilities. Besides Bulgaria, as a coordinator, Greece and France participate, while Italy and Poland have observer status.
 
A dedicated modular element is envisaged to provide a full range of defense operations for underwater shipments in expedition format, except missions and tasks for special operations forces. The aim is to use the equipment both at sea and in inland water basins.