Bulgaria’s newly purchased anti-drone systems cannot provide a comprehensive shield for the country’s territory or borders, according to Todor Ivandzhikov, chairman of the Association of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry. He said the country needs a layered defense system, better coordination between institutions and a joint strategy with Romania to address growing drone threats along NATO’s eastern flank.
Bulgaria has received the first two of four anti-drone systems ordered from US company Axon, while there have also been publicly stated plans to acquire up to 10 such systems. Ivandzhikov described the move as belated and insufficient to guarantee national security amid increasing incidents involving reconnaissance and combat drones in the Black Sea and near NATO’s eastern borders.
The Axon systems use mobile platforms equipped with radars, sensors, cameras and jammers and provide 360-degree coverage. However, their effective local range is only about 3 to 5 kilometers, making them useful for protecting specific sites rather than covering Bulgaria’s territory or maritime border.
“Two anti-drone systems are useless. Anti-drone systems have a certain range, about 3-5 km. A circle of 3-5 km will not save Bulgaria, we will not protect Bulgaria with such a thing,” Ivandzhikov said in an interview with Bloomberg TV Bulgaria.
