site.btaBulgarian, Romanian, US Troops Demonstrate Capabilities at Exercise Trojan Footprint 24

Bulgarian, Romanian and US troops demonstrated capabilities during a VIP and Media Day of multinational exercise Trojan Footprint 24, which took place at the Tsrancha Special Operations Forces Training Complex on Thursday.

This largest exercise of Allied Special Operations Forces in Europe is being held in locations in Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Romania and Germany.

The Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Major General Yavor Mateev, said that Bulgaria's special operations forces have very good equipment but everything would be pointless if the armed forces lack trained personnel. "Everybody in the security sector in Bulgaria deserve pay adequate to the efforts they make and the risks they take," General Mateev argued. He added that the specific remuneration at the special operations forces has not been changed but believes that it will be adjusted for the new conditions and will be relevant so as to retain all service members in the armed forces personnel.

Asked by journalists about the armament of the military, Bulgaria's Deputy Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Tsanko Stoykov said that the first to come is the new hardware for the Bulgarian Air Force. The training of the flight and maintenance personnel proceeds according to schedule, and the US partners most recently said that the jet fighters are being readied for transfer to Bulgaria and will be here, as planned, in 2025. Everything possible is being for the completion of the infrastructure, so that the aircraft would arrive on schedule, General Stoykov said. 

US Ambassador in Sofia Kenneth H. Merten appreciated his country's long and good relationship with the Bulgarian Armed Forces. He recalled that the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to NATO will be marked this year. "We are proud and happy to have Bulgaria as our friend and partner," the diplomat said, adding that Thursday's demonstration showed that "we are strong together and exactly what we can do jointly".

The demonstration was watched by the Chief of the Political Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, Dobromir Totev, Pazardzhik Regional Governor Valentina Kaytazova, Plovdiv Regional Governor Iliya Zyumbyulev, Pazardzhik Mayor Petar Kulenski, commanders and chiefs of the armed services, and representatives of the diplomatic missions of the countries participating in the exercise.

The troops demonstrated apprehension of a fleeing motor vehicle with the help of tatical dogs, neutralizing an enemy guard post by a sniper pair, direct action against installations by combined penetration by storm parties and apprehension of separatists, repulsion of contact with hostiles and evacuation of a broken-down vehicle. Dynamic shooting from a short and ultra short distance was shown as well. Parachute jumps were cancelled because of bad weather conditions.

In Bulgarian territory, Trojan Footprint 24 began at the Tsrancha Complex on February 29 and will continue until March 15. The exercise involves some 100 troops, military equipment and armament of the JSOC and 50 Romanian and US troops.