> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.adriadefense.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bulgaria to Deploy Counter-Drone Systems at Critical Sites - URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/bulgaria-to-deploy-counter-drone-systems-at-critical-sites/ - Published: 2026-09-21T05:00:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T05:00:36.000Z - Description: Bulgaria will deploy counter-drone systems at critical infrastructure and tighten security around arms factories and ammunition depots after repeated incidents. - Author: AdriaDefense Desk - Tags: Bulgaria, CEE, Industry, Drones, Counter-Drone, EMCO Bulgaria will begin deploying counter-drone systems at critical infrastructure sites after a government security review identified gaps in protection against unmanned aircraft. Sofia will also increase security around weapons production and ammunition storage facilities following another fire at an EMCO site in September. The measures mark a broader shift in Bulgaria's counter-UAS policy from protecting military airspace toward hardening the country's defense-industrial base and other strategic infrastructure. The government has not linked the latest EMCO incident to a drone attack, and investigators have not established its cause. ## Bulgaria identified counter-drone gaps at critical infrastructure Bulgaria's Security Council reviewed the protection of strategic sites, critical infrastructure and facilities handling explosives and ammunition on September 18. The government said the review identified shortcomings in the availability of counter-drone systems at critical infrastructure. Authorities plan to prioritize vulnerable sites and equip them with the required systems in phases. The review also examined security, video surveillance and counter-UAS requirements at strategic facilities operated by the Ministry of Defense. Bulgaria has not disclosed how many additional counter-drone systems it plans to acquire, which facilities will receive them first or what technologies will form the new protection layer. The measures extend beyond counter-UAS equipment. Interior Ministry and State Agency for National Security teams will inspect ammunition production and storage facilities and issue site-specific requirements for strengthening their protection. Police have separately been instructed to increase patrols around weapons factories and ammunition depots. ## EMCO depot fire accelerated scrutiny of ammunition security The security review followed a September 11 fire at an ammunition storage facility operated by Bulgarian defense company EMCO near Gorni Varpishta in Dryanovo Municipality. Employees detected the fire through the site's video surveillance system and evacuated according to established procedures. Authorities reported no casualties and said nearby settlements were not in immediate danger. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev subsequently ordered inspections of ammunition depots across Bulgaria. He indicated that authorities had identified concerns involving both storage conditions and physical security arrangements. EMCO has characterized the September incident as sabotage and has cited more than 10 incidents affecting Bulgarian defense companies since 2011\. The company has not identified a perpetrator, while Bulgarian authorities have not publicly established sabotage as the cause of the latest fire. The distinction is important because Bulgarian ammunition facilities have a history of incidents that authorities previously investigated for possible deliberate interference. [AdriaDefense previously reported on the August EMCO ammunition depot fire](https://www.adriadefense.com/emco-rules-out-human-error-in-bulgaria-ammunition-depot-fire/), when explosions hit another company facility near Belitsa. Investigators did not establish foreign involvement in that incident at the time. ## Counter-UAS protection is expanding beyond military sites Bulgaria was already accelerating counter-drone procurement before the latest ammunition depot incident. In August, the country received two counter-drone systems from U.S. technology company Axon after an unmanned aircraft crossed from Romania and exploded inside Bulgarian territory near Kardam on August 8\. Two additional systems were expected shortly afterward. [AdriaDefense reported on the Axon counter-drone deliveries](https://www.adriadefense.com/bulgaria-receives-two-axon-counter-drone-systems-after-incursion/) as part of Sofia's response to the low-altitude surveillance gap exposed by the Kardam incident. The government has not said whether the equipment announced for critical infrastructure on September 18 will include additional Axon systems or involve separate suppliers. The distinction between national air defense and local counter-UAS protection is increasingly important. Conventional surveillance radars and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems address part of the aerial threat, while small unmanned aircraft can require dedicated radio-frequency sensors, electro-optical systems, electronic warfare equipment or short-range effectors positioned around individual facilities. Bulgaria is simultaneously modernizing its wider air-defense network through new three-dimensional radars and the IRIS-T SLM surface-to-air missile system. [AdriaDefense previously examined Bulgaria's low-altitude air-defense gap](https://www.adriadefense.com/bulgaria-air-defense-gaps-exposed-after-drone-incursion/) following the August 8 incursion. ## Defense factories are becoming part of the protected infrastructure network The September decision broadens Bulgaria's counter-drone problem from an airspace surveillance issue into a defense-industrial security requirement. Ammunition factories and storage facilities differ from many other critical infrastructure sites because even a relatively small intrusion can create secondary risks involving explosives and stored munitions. Protection therefore depends on more than detecting an aircraft and can require physical security, surveillance, intelligence coordination and emergency response alongside counter-UAS equipment. The importance of that infrastructure has also increased as European countries rebuild ammunition inventories and expand defense production. Bulgaria retains substantial manufacturing capacity for Soviet-standard ammunition alongside other weapons and defense products. The government has not attributed the recent incidents at EMCO facilities to a foreign actor. Earlier cases involving Bulgarian ammunition depots, however, have previously been investigated for possible Russian involvement, adding a counterintelligence dimension to the wider question of defense-industrial protection. Sofia's next decisions will show whether the September 18 measures develop into a coordinated national architecture or remain a series of site-level security upgrades. The first indicators will be the number of facilities prioritized, the counter-drone technologies selected and the degree to which the new systems connect with police, intelligence and military surveillance networks. ## Bulgaria counter-drone security: Key questions ### Why is Bulgaria deploying counter-drone systems at critical infrastructure? A September 18 government security review identified gaps in counter-drone protection at critical infrastructure. Authorities decided to prioritize vulnerable sites and equip them with counter-UAS systems in phases. ### Did a drone cause the latest EMCO ammunition depot fire? There is no public evidence establishing that a drone caused the September fire. EMCO has alleged sabotage, but Bulgarian authorities have not established the cause or attributed the incident to a specific actor. ### Which Bulgarian defense facilities will receive counter-drone systems? The government has not published a list of sites. Authorities have said critical infrastructure will be prioritized, while security is also being strengthened around weapons production and ammunition storage facilities. ### Does Bulgaria already operate counter-drone systems? Yes. Bulgaria received two Axon counter-drone systems in August 2026, with two additional systems expected, after the August 8 drone incursion near Kardam. The government has not confirmed whether Axon equipment will form part of the new critical infrastructure deployments.