The Minesweeper BGS Priboy Is Back in Bulgaria after ARIADNE 2018

SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 22, 2018, Source: Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, Editor: Galina Zdravkova (Bm), Photo by Pan.bg

On 21st March, the Ministry of Defence announced that the Bulgarian Navy minesweeper BGS “Priboy” (in English: “Breaking wave”) from the composition of the fleet of combat and auxiliary ships of the Bulgarian Navy returned the same day after a successful participation in the exercise of the Hellenic Navy Mine Warfare Command “Ariadne 2018” in the Gulf of Patras and Eastern Ionian Sea. The Annual Mine Countermeasure (MCM) exercise “Ariadne 2018” started on 9th March 2018 and finished on 16th March 2018. Except the Bulgarian minesweeper, ships of the Hellenic Navy Mine Warfare Command, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Spain, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Turkey, and Romania also took part in it.

On 5th March “Priboy” departed the base in the town of Burgas (Bulgaria) to the Port of Patras (Greece). The trip to the Port of Patras was accompanied by severe weather conditions (strong wind and rough sea).

The minesweeper was under the command of Capt. III rank Hristo Ginev and after 1800 sea miles and 300 hours spent on water, the ship is back and the crew may boast that they have successfully fulfilled all assigned tasks. The crew of the ship participated in various exercises that provided opportunities for getting trained under quite realistic conditions.