site.btaUS Army Military Equipment Arrives in Novo Selo Training Area

US Army Military Equipment Arrives in Novo Selo Training Area

Novo Selo Training Area, February 20 (BTA) - US Army military equipment has been deployed to the Novo Selo Training Area, near Sliven (southeastern Bulgaria), said here on Monday the Deputy Director of the Defence Ministry's Joint Facilities and Coordination Activities Directorate, Col. Yordan Yordanov.

The military equipment is deployed to the joint Bulgarian-US facility at Novo Selo within the framework of the US European Reassurance Initiative and as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

A 120-member company of the US Army 3rd Armored Brigade, stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, was deployed to Novo Selo last week. The US servicemen will participate in the exercises, which will start next month.

A total of 15 Bradley fighting vehicles, various automotive and auxiliary equipment has been transported already. Around ten US Army tanks are also expected to arrive. The machines will take part in trainings and exercises on the territories of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Poland. The equipment is distributed in these countries, while each formation will conduct joint exercises and trainings with the Bulgarian Army and third countries.

A large-scale NATO exercise, codenamed Saber Guardian, will be held in July, when the number of servicemen will increase significantly. The exercise is scheduled to
start in Germany. The US Army formations will be deployed to Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The exercise's culmination will be in Bulgaria with the participation of around 5,000 servicemen from various countries.

According to the commander of the battalion, which will remain in Bulgaria for nine months, the main goal is to create a partnership with the Bulgarian armed forces, as well as to ensure cooperation with NATO.