Belgium Hands Over First Minehunter to Bulgaria: BNS Bellis Opens a 7-Ship NATO Boost in the Black Sea
Belgium formally handed over the Tripartite-class minehunter BNS Bellis (M916) to the Bulgarian Navy on October 30. Bellis is the first of four Belgian minehunters being transferred to Bulgaria free of charge, and the opening step in a wider plan to add seven minehunters to Bulgaria’s fleet.
The handover falls under a trilateral memorandum of understanding between Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. Under the deal, Belgium will transfer four Tripartite-class vessels and the Netherlands three, with the Dutch ships scheduled to follow in 2027 and 2028.
Free transfer, but Bulgaria foots the bill
Under a decision Belgium’s Council of Ministers approved in September 2025, four Belgian ships — Bellis (M916), Crocus (M917), Lobelia (M921) and Primula (M924) — are being transferred to Bulgaria at no purchase cost. In exchange, Bulgaria will fund their recommissioning, maintenance and deployment, with much of that work expected to flow through Belgian industry.
Lt. Gen. Bernard Phaleg, Belgium’s Director General Material Resources and National Armaments Director, said at the handover: “Thanks to the transfer of the ship to Bulgaria, a proven capability remains operational within NATO.” He added that Belgium was “strengthening an ally, supporting security in the Black Sea region.”
A training role for Ukrainian crews
Bulgaria plans to use the incoming ships not only to expand its own mine-countermeasures capacity, but also to help train Ukrainian navy crews who operate the same class of vessel. That makes the transfer a concrete example of allied capacity-sharing against the mine threat in the Black Sea.
Why the Tripartite class is moving on
The handover is part of a broader phase-out: both the Belgian and Dutch navies are gradually retiring their Tripartite fleets as they shift toward uncrewed, robotic mine-countermeasures under the rMCM programme. Until that transition is complete, Tripartite vessels still fit for service are being given a second operational life with new owners.
Entering service in the 1980s, the Tripartite class was jointly designed by Belgium, the Netherlands and France and became one of the backbones of NATO’s mine-countermeasures capability. Its fibreglass hull keeps the ship’s magnetic signature low, adding a layer of protection against magnetically triggered mines.
What it means for Black Sea security
The transfer comes as the mine threat in the Black Sea remains an active concern. NATO members with a stake in the region, including Black Sea littoral ally Türkiye, regard sustained mine-countermeasures capability there as a priority. The programme, which will eventually bring Bulgaria’s fleet to seven minehunters, marks a tangible expansion of NATO’s presence in the Black Sea.
With Bellis now delivered, Belgium’s three remaining ships are expected to follow on a similar timeline in the coming period.
Sources
- Naval News, “Belgium Transfers First Tripartite Minehunter BNS Bellis to Bulgarian Navy,” October 31, 2026 — read the article (factual basis and direct quotes drawn from this source).
