The Bulgarian Navy will modernise three of its frigates by 2014 in a move to improve the technical efficiency of the navy, Bulgarian Defence Minister Anyu Angelov has said.

As part of the modernisation programme, the frigates will be equipped with landing pads to allow helicopters to land and take off from the ships’ decks.

The navy is also planning to decommission a submarine, several ships and missile boats as well as mine sweepers by the end of 2014, the defence minister added.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIRPI) report, the navy’s overall cutbacks are part of the country’s military spending cuts in Central and Eastern Europe.

The navy also has plans to deploy the Druzki frigate for a period of three months to support the international military operation against the Gaddafi regime in Libya.