site.btaJoint Bulgarian-US Exercise Thracian Eagle 2016 Begins

Joint Bulgarian-US Exercise Thracian Eagle 2016 Begins

Sofia, April 28 (BTA) - Eight F-15 C/D fighters of the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard are being relocated on Thursday to the Graf Ignatievo Air Base (near Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria) for a joint Bulgarian-US exercise codenamed Thracian Eagle 2016, the Bulgarian Air Force Command said in a press release.

The joint exercise will continue until June 30.

Bulgaria will be represented by MiG-29, Su-25, L-39ZA and C-27J Spartan aircraft, AS 532 AL Cougar, Mi-24 and Mi-7 helicopters, and Air Defence Forces units.

The exercise director is Brigadier General Ivan Lalov, Commander of the Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

The objective of Thracian Eagle 2016 is to hone the training of Bulgarian Air Force personnel to handle state-of-the-art tactics, techniques and procedures and to function in an international context.