site.btaBulgarian and Spanish Air Forces Begin Joint Air Policing Mission

A certification ceremony on Thursday marked the start of the implementation of joint air policing tasks by the Bulgarian and Spanish air forces. The ceremony took place at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base in the presence of Bulgarian Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov, Bulgarian Air Force Commander General Major Dimiter Petrov, Spanish Ambassador to Bulgaria Alejandro Polanco Mata, Operations Command Spain Commander Lieutenant General Francisco Braco Carbo and Brigadier General Athanasios Sextos, Deputy Commander of Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejon, who presented the certificate to the Spanish airmen. 

In his address Brigadier General Sextos thanked the two countries for authorizing the mission which once again shows that NATO is a strong alliance and that no country is left to defend itself alone.

During the certification ceremony the aircraft which will be used for the joint air policing tasks, MiG-29 and Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon II, were presented.

Bulgarian and Spanish fighter jets will carry out air policing tasks by March 31 under a decision of Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers of January 24 2022. The mission is part of measures to ensure the security of member countries on NATO’s eastern flank and will be conducted according the procedures of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence. While carrying out the joint air policing tasks Bulgarian on-duty fighter aircraft will be used with priority. RY/PP