Bulgaria receives two anti-drone systems from AXON

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the delivery of two anti-drone systems purchased from the American company AXON. These systems are currently undergoing the process of integration and operational deployment.

This acquisition follows an incident on August 8, when a drone entered Bulgarian airspace and crashed near the border. Initial analysis identified the craft as a ‘Maya’ decoy drone, a type frequently used by the Ukrainian military. The drone featured a wooden construction with a single metal component—the engine—and a GPS module that proved difficult to use for tracking flight coordinates.

Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov stated that the country intends to acquire approximately 10 such systems through the ‘Security Measures for Europe’ (SAFE) mechanism. The SAFE projects, which were supported by a loan agreement ratified by Parliament in late July, are scheduled for completion by December 31, 2030. The current systems are expected to have an operational radius of three to five kilometers.