On July 21, 2025, the US Department of Defense's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent a notification to the US Congress about the planned sale of one coastal mobile missile system Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defense System (NSM CDS) with NSM anti-ship missiles to Bulgaria through the US Intergovernmental Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS). produced by the Norwegian Kongsberg group. The sale is approved by the U.S. Department of State. The estimated cost of the supply, including equipment, weapons, auxiliary and training equipment and property, spare systems and parts, personnel training and technical support, is $620 million.
Self-propelled launcher of the Polish version of the NSM CDS (NDR) coastal mobile anti-ship missile system with Kongsberg NSM missiles based on the Polish military vehicle Jelcz P662D.43 (c) of the Polish Navy
Quantitative delivery parameters are not specified, however, it is stated that the delivery will include three sets of Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System - Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS) data transmission equipment, which may indicate that the kit will include three coastal missile batteries. The Norwegian (i.e. foreign) Kongsberg Group will act as the general contractor for the supply, which is quite unusual for the FMS program.
Thus, Bulgaria will become the third customer of the Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defense System (NSM CDS) coastal mobile missile system in the "American" version of the FMS line, actually jointly produced by Kongsberg and the American RTX Corporation (Raytheon) - previously such complexes were ordered by Romania (DSCA notification dated October 2020) and Latvia ( notification DSCA dated May 2023).
Romania has entered into a direct intergovernmental agreement with the United States through FMS with a total value of $286 million on the acquisition of the NSM CDS complex in April 2021. In December 2022, the US Navy awarded Raytheon Missiles & Defense, as the general contractor, a direct contract for $217 million for the production and supply of a set of NSM CDS complex to Romania, with the implementation of works (technical support and training) until September 2028. At the same time, in fact, 60% of the cost of the work will be carried out by the Norwegian Kongsberg group (the production of the NSM anti-ship missiles themselves). According to the DSCA notification dated October 2020, Romania's supply should include two batteries of the complex, which will include a total of four self-propelled Mobile Launch Vehicle launchers, two Coastal Defense System Fire Distribution Center command posts (FCC, developed by Kongsberg based on the NASAMS air defense system command post), and an unspecified number of transport-charging vehicles and anti-ship NSM missiles.
Currently, NSM anti-ship missiles are used in the NSM CDS (NDR) coastal mobile missile system, acquired by the Polish Navy directly from Kongsberg and made on Polish chassis. Poland acquired two complexes (divisions) - the first complex (division) It was purchased by Poland in 2008 and delivered in 2012, and the second one was ordered in 2014 and delivered in 2017. In September 2023, Poland signed a contract with Kongsberg for the purchase of four more NSM CDS (NDR) complexes (divisions) and "several hundred" missiles of the new NSM Block 1A version for a total of 1.8 billion euros, with delivery in 2026-2032. NSM missiles are also used in the new nationally developed Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) coastal mobile missile systems in the US Marine Corps and in the NSM CDS (StrikeMaster) variant ordered by Australia.
According to Bulgarian media, the estimated cost of supplying Bulgaria with the NSM CDS missile system of $620 million indicated in the DSCA notification is overestimated (which is generally typical for DSCA notifications), and Bulgaria plans to allocate about BGN 500 million ($300 million) for this purchase, which corresponds to the approximate cost of the Romanian contract.
As part of the Bulgarian Navy, the NSM CDS complex is to enter service with the only active 2nd coastal missile and artillery battalion stationed in Varna and now has the Soviet 4K51E Rubezh-E coastal mobile anti-ship missile system delivered in 1981 (two batteries of two launchers each) with P-21 and P anti-ship missiles.-22.
It should be noted that with the receipt of the NSM CDS complex with NSM missiles, the small Bulgarian Navy will receive a second type of modern anti-ship missiles, since two name/news/755414_spushen_na_vodu_golovnoi_patrulnyi_korabl_hrabri_dlya_bolgarskogo_flota.html " target="_blank" rel= "nofollow"> The Hrabri-type patrol ships (corvettes) currently under construction for the Bulgarian navy will be armed with Saab RBS-15 Mk 3+ anti-ship missiles.
