The Polish and Bulgarian companies will develop a technology-transfer plan for the FONET communications platform, TOPAZ artillery command-and-control system and COMP@N tactical radios.

WB GROUP and Bulgarian defence manufacturer Optix have signed a teaming agreement to explore the production, integration and support of Polish defence systems in Bulgaria. The cooperation is intended to develop local industrial capabilities and strengthen security of supply on NATO’s eastern flank.

The agreement was signed at the Bulgarian Embassy in Warsaw by Piotr Wojciechowski, President of WB GROUP, and Petar Cholakov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Optix. Michaela Karadimova, Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry, attended the signing.

The companies will prepare a technology-transfer plan covering the FONET vehicle communications platform, the TOPAZ artillery command-and-control and fire-control system, and COMP@N tactical radios. The proposed work in Bulgaria includes production, integration and in-service support for systems used with artillery platforms.

Under the agreement, Optix is expected to serve as a Bulgarian centre for assembly, installation, configuration and after-sales support. WB GROUP will provide technical documentation and equipment, along with specialist training for Optix personnel. The agreement establishes a framework for those activities; it does not specify a production timetable or the number of systems involved.

FONET provides communications within military vehicles and is used by armed forces in dozens of countries. Developed by WB GROUP, it is manufactured in Poland and under licence elsewhere, including in the United States.

TOPAZ supports artillery command, control and fire missions. In Polish service, it is integrated with Krab and K9 self-propelled howitzers, M120K Rak self-propelled mortars, and Langusta and Homar-K rocket launchers. The system is also used by customers outside Poland, including NATO allies.

COMP@N is a family of software-defined radios produced by WB GROUP company RADMOR. Handheld, vehicle-mounted and manpack versions are available for the Polish Armed Forces and export customers. The radios incorporate TRANSEC, NETSEC and COMSEC mechanisms to protect tactical communications.

The signing took place during an official visit to Poland by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The Bulgarian delegation included Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Aleksandar Pulev, alongside representatives of the country’s business community.

For WB GROUP, the agreement offers a route to establish local support for its communications and artillery systems in Bulgaria. For Optix, it would add assembly, integration and service responsibilities to its existing defence manufacturing activities. The planned transfer of documentation, equipment and training is central to turning the cooperation framework into an operational industrial capability.

WB GROUP is Poland’s largest privately owned defence technology group. Its portfolio spans unmanned systems, tactical communications, and command-and-control and fire-control solutions. Optix, founded in 1998 in Panagyurishte, manufactures optical, optomechanical and optoelectronic equipment, including night-vision and thermal-imaging systems.