The Bulgarian Land Forces are the ground warfare branch of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It is administered by the Ministry of Defence, previously known as the Ministry of War during the Kingdom of Bulgaria. The Land Forces were established in 1878, when they were composed of anti-Ottoman militia (opalchentsi) and were the only branch of the Bulgarian military.
A triumphal arch in Edirne raised in honour of the Bulgarian troops entering the town, 1913
Mobilised Bulgarian troops departing for the front, 1915
Bulgarian CV-33 tankette unit in the 1930s
The Bulgarian Air Force is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, and jointly with the other branches, to protect territorial integrity. The Bulgarian Air Force is one of the oldest air forces in Europe and the world. In recent times it has been actively taking part in numerous NATO missions and exercises in Europe.
Boris Maslennikov's airplane in flight, Sofia 1910
Simon Petrov in a Bleriot XI 1912
Bulgarian airmen in captured British Armstrong Whitworth FK.3
A Bulgarian-manufactured DAR-10 training plane was inspired by Polish PZL.43 light bomber. DAR produced small numbers of locally designed aircraft
