German shipbuilder the NVL Group, through Bulgarian partner MTG Dolphin Shiprepair and Shipbuilding, has laid the keel of a new corvette slated for the Bulgarian Navy.
The future Hrabri ("Brave") will be the first of a planned class of two corvettes to be built under a contract valued at approximately US$593 million. Once completed, the ships will each measure 90 by 13.5 metres and will be armed with anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, a 76-millimetre naval gun, torpedoes, and a close-in weapon system.
The keel-laying ceremony for the future Hrabri was held on Friday, June 17, at MTG Dolphin's Varna facilities with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev as guest of honour.