During the international exhibition of defense equipment and services HEMUS 2026, held in Plovdiv last week, the Bulgarian shipbuilding company MTG Dolphin presented the Proteus 36 MLC concept– a project for a 36-meter medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV).
According to Naval News, the 37-meter drone, which, if necessary, can also be produced in a crewed version, has aroused considerable interest from international delegations, representatives of the defense industry, major equipment suppliers, as well as naval experts.
The concept project of the surface unmanned combat platform "Protey-36", Bulgaria
MTG Dolphin
The MTG Dolphin stand was visited by President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliyana Yotova and her military adviser, Vice Admiral Mitko Petev, for whom the management of the shipbuilding company held a detailed briefing on the capabilities of the future vessel and the concept of its operation.
The Protey-36 is a highly efficient high-speed modular platform, equipped in the basic version with a 3D radar, fire control radar and a 30 mm close combat system (CIWS), as well as an open deck to accommodate several 20-foot container modules to adapt to various tasks.
Depending on the threat assessment, the platform can carry a wide range of specialized payloads for air defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, minefields, etc.
The configuration presented at the Plovdiv exhibition included equipping 24 barrage munitions housed in a single launcher combined with a deck superstructure, as well as 40 anti-aircraft missiles housed in two 20-cell vertical launch system modules. Alternative equipment options include a three-module layout consisting of two triple-barreled 324 mm torpedo tubes and two quadruple launchers carrying a total of eight NSM anti-ship missiles, as well as a two-container configuration for mining operations.
"This naval platform is designed to seamlessly integrate with advanced artificial intelligence, autonomous control, and swarm technologies," said Svetlin Stoyanov, Executive Director of MTG Dolphin. "The high interest shown by leading Bulgarian military officials and our international partners confirms the relevance of this development and strengthens our strategic vision for the future of naval warfare."
As Naval News points out, an unmanned surface vehicle may also attract the attention of the Romanian Navy, especially given that Bucharest continues to modernize its Navy and is exploring the possibility of integrating unmanned systems.
MTG Dolphin is a European shipyard with headquarters in Varna, Bulgaria. He has more than 35 years of experience in shipbuilding and ship repair. The company specializes in the production of complex, mission-critical vessels and patrol boats that meet NATO standards.
One of the latest orders from the shipyard were two MMPV 90 type multipurpose patrol ships designed for the Bulgarian Navy.
