site.btaDefence Minister Opens Joint Military Flight Training Thracian Viper 2024

Caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov kicked off the opening ceremony of the joint military flight training Thracian Viper 2024 in 22nd Air Base in the village of Bezmer, Southeastern Bulgaria.

The joint flight training is taking place from July 11 to August 9 and involves forces and assets from the Army, Air Forces of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, the US. It will involve Su-25, MiG-29, F-16 and C-130 aircraft, 2K12 Kub (SA-6) and 9K33 Osa (SA-8) missile systems, AS532 AL Cougar and Mi-24 helicopters. Up to 200 servicepersons will be deployed during the exercise.

"I am very happy that NATO's decisions are actually being implemented. This is a proof that the Alliance is not only dealing with general policies and strategies, but everything that is being planned - the defence plans, including Bulgaria's, are provided with the necessary military capabilities to defend the territory," Zapryanov told journalists. "The compatibility of actions in the performance of different tasks is vital. We now have MiG-29s, we have Su-25s - this is what we will fight with if necessary. We are waiting for our new F-16 combat platform to arrive next year," he said. The caretaker Minister wished next year's exercise to be opened with a Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft. 

Such exercises are an exceptional opportunity to share tactics, techniques and different procedures, said Brigadier General Tad Clark, Commander of the 31st Fighter Wing, USAF Aviano Air Base, Italy. He noted that through those exercises the NATO countries are challenging each other and getting better. Clark added that Bulgaria's acquisition of the F-16 Block 70 aircrafts is a very important milestone in the development of relations between this country and the United States.

U.S. Air Forces Europe is contributing six F-16s from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, to provide deployment support for the visiting unit. Up to three C-130 transport aircraft will conduct flights. The U.S. crews will perform close air support tasks with inert munitions at the Elena training area. The deployment will be conducted by forward air controllers from the Multinational Battle Group Bulgaria with Italy as the framework country.

The Hellenic Air Force will participate with up to four F-16s and the Romanian Air Force with up to two F-16s. All of them will operate in the Bulgarian airspace without landing on the territory of the country. 

On July 18-19, reconnaissance flights as well as close air support missions will be performed by the USAF crews, the Ministry of Defence said.