Bulgarian People's Army


The Bulgarian People's Army was the military of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.
It comprised the Bulgarian Land Forces, Air Force and Air Defence, Navy and supporting arms. Bulgaria was one of the signatories of the Warsaw Pact. Along with troops form other Warsaw Pact countries, the BNA participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. However, other than this, the BNA did not see any combat during its existence. The Bulgarian People's Army dissolved along with the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1990 and was succeeded by the Bulgarian Armed Forces.

History

The People's Republic of Bulgaria formed the BNA on September 8, 1944 after the Soviet Union invaded Bulgaria and installed the communist government. In 1952 it was officially named the Bulgarian People's Army. In the period between 1948 and 1952 it was involved in repelling attacks by the Greek Army. It joined the Warsaw Pact on May 14, 1955 and activities in the alliance include the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia. On October 23, 1968, the 22 Artillery Regiment that invaded the country withdrew from Czechoslovakia. It advised North Korea in the Korean War and provided medical assistance to the troops of the DPRK. It also advised the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. During the 1950s, 60s and 70s the BNA assisted countries like Algeria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Nicaragua, Egypt, and Syria as well as taking part in action in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Composition

The BNA's manpower by the time the People's Republic was dissolved reached 120,000 men most who were conscripts. The combined strength of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Missile Forces, plus the strength of the People's Militia and the Border Troops reached 150,000 in 1988.

Equipment

The equipment of the BNA was mostly equipment provided by the Soviet Union. Some of this equipment were 500 combat aircraft, 3,000 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles, 2,500 artillery systems, 33 navy vessels, 67 Scud missiles, and 24 SS-23 rocket launchers.

Organization

The defense policy of the country was managed by the Ministry of the People's Defense, under the direct supervision of the Bulgarian Communist Party, whose leader was overall commander in chief of the People's Army. The BNA was organized into the following service branches:
Several other branches were directly controlled by the Ministry of People's Defense:
The combined strength of all of the forces was 325,000 in 1989.

Structure of the Bulgarian People's Army 1989