site.btaLand Forces Commander Reports Successful Year

Sofia, January 19 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Land Forces Commander, Major General Mihail Popov, Friday presented an annual analysis of the units' training in 2017. "Despite ongoing difficulties, our activities have produced positive results and we can report a successful year," he said.

The units maintain the existing operational capacities for the attainment of objectives across the spectrum of missions and tasks. In 2017 the Land Forces mechanized, tank and mountain-warfare units conducted, in aggregate, 34 combat exercises, the reconnaissance units carried out five company-level special tactical training exercises, two field training events and three field camps, and the artillery units were engaged in seven battery-level tactical exercises and nine battery-level field firing exercises.

The Land Forces air defence units held two battalion-level tactical exercises and ten battery-level tactical exercises, as well as surface-to-air firing practice at the Shabla Anti-Aircraft Firing Range. The Land Forces nuclear, biological, chemical, and environmental protection units conducted five company-level special tactical training exercises, and the engineer units organized 12 field camps and 12 special tactical training exercises.

Nine special tactical training exercises were planned and carried out with the communication and information support units, 12 special tactical training exercises with the logistics units, and nine special tactical training exercises with the support-services and command and control units.

Major General Popov stressed the successful involvement of Land Forces personnel in the high-visibility multinational exercise "Saber Guardian-2017" and in a number of joint training events and multinational exercises abroad, including "Saber Junction-2017", "Rapid Trident-2017", "Platinum Eagle", "Platinum Wolf-2017", "Summer Shield-2017", "Agile Spirit-2017", "Thracian Eagle-2017", "Ramstein Guard 9", "Collector's Item" and "Joint Flight Training". Units were successfully certified for NATO and EU forces and for commitment to overseas operations and missions.

A total of 832 service persons with 111 special-purpose vehicles were committed to assist the public during the severe winter last year and in fire-fighting. A total of 415 service persons with 146 equipment units detected and safely disposed of by controlled explosion 15,854 pieces of unexploded ordnance found in various settlements countrywide.

In the annual analysis, the Land Forces Commander also highlighted the successful participation of units in logistical support of Interior Ministry entities guarding the Bulgarian-Turkish border and in an operation supporting the Interior Ministry to counter migration pressure.