Multinational Distributed Computer Assisted Exercise (CAX)/ Command Post Exercise (CPX) ”BALKAN BRIDGES 19” /BB19/ will take place in the area of the National Military Training Complex “Charalitca” on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, from 30 September to 4 October 2019.

The Armed Forces of the South Eastern Europe states’ capitals involved in the Chiefs of Defense/Chiefs of General Staff (CHODs) Initiative, namely Tirana, Sarajevo, Sofia, Athens, Podgorica, Bucharest, Beograd, Skopje and Ankara, underlined the need for, and initiated the development of a distributed and networked Exercise & Training Capability i.e. the South Eastern Europe Exercise & Training Network (SEEETN).

Up to 200 military and civilian personnel from nine countries in the region will participate in the exercise.

The purpose of the exercise is to improve and enhance the interoperability of the Balkan States’ Armed Forces and their capabilities to adequately apply NATO procedures and comprehensive approach to any security concerns and risks related to a regional crisis in a joint environment.

BB19 aims to provide a training platform and environment to improve war combat capabilities, as well as to strengthen the linkage between the participating regional partners.

The exercise will provide appropriate conditions and environment to test the integration of national and NATO M&S systems and/or simulators into a regional Information Communication Technology Infrastructure, namely the South Eastern Europe Exercise and Training Network (SEEETN); furthermore the progress in the SEEETN project development will be assessed.

The Armed Forces of the participating countries will train together to ensure readiness on the Balkans as a long term effort to improve regional cooperation among participating units, and demonstrate interoperability on the basis of shared values, experiences, and vision.

Traditionally, BB19 will receive technical exercise support from NATO Joint Force Training Center Bydgoszcz, and NATO CMDR Center of Excellence. The exercise has been offered to JFTC as a venue for integrating tests and experimentation into the training. This will be the first time when JFTC will integrate experiments into an exercise.

For the first time in the series, BB19 will involve South-East Europe Brigade /SEEBRIG/ as Training Audience.

The exercise will be conducted from distributed remote sites located in Ankara, Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Sarajevo, Sofia and Tirana. Skopje and Podgoritsa will participate in the exercise from Sofia.

The officer scheduling the exercise is the Chief of Defense of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, General Andrey Botsev; the officer conducting the exercise is the Commander of the Joint Force Command – Lieutenant General Lyubcho Todorov; officer directing the exercise is Brigadier General Valentin Krastev, Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Command, Exercise Director is the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Command of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, Colonel Plamen Yordanov with assistance of two Co-EXDIRs from Serbia and Turkey.

This exercise will focus on staff teamwork, co-operation and coordination at operational as well as at tactical level while emphasizing the comprehensive approach to crisis response and peace operations.

A Distinguished Visitors and Media day (DVD) is planed to take place on 3 October 2019 as a part of the exercise schedule.

During the DVD a Press conference will be given by the Leadership of the exercise. Press release and pictures from the exercise will be published on the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence: www.mod.bg.

Press center of the BB19 exercise
e-mail:jfc@armf.bg

Teams of the Bulgarian Army will take part in the relay marathon which will be held on the 6th of September 2019 in the city of Sofia. The start of the Sofia Ekiden (Relay) Marathon will be given at 9.00 a.m. in front of the Vasil Levski National Stadium, located at the intersection of Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi Blvd. and Gurko Str. The event is organized by the Sofia-Europe Youth Sports Club and the Bulgarian Sport For All Association. This year the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and the Bulgarian Armed Forces Women Association will partake in the sports event as partners on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of NATO and the 15th anniversary of Bulgaria’s accession to the Alliance.

Three Bulgarian Army teams will participate in the Sofia Ekiden Marathon, representing the Land Forces, the Air Force, and the Special Operations Forces respectively, alongside three coed teams of the Children of the Bulgarian Army Foundation and a women’s and a mеn’s team formed by the elite athletes of Bulgaria and of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. The competitors’ outfits will be branded with the logo of the We Are NATO campaign. Among them, in the ranks of the elite athletes, will be Vladimir Iliev, silver medalist from the Biathlon World Cup in Östersund in 2019; Stanimir Belomazhev, three times European champion and world champion in ski orienteering; Cdr Todor Dimitrov, the second Bulgarian to successfully complete the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, the world’s longest footrace; and Antonia Grigorova, the first woman in Bulgaria to speed cross our longest high-mountain long-distance trail beginning at Kom Peak and ending at Cape Emine.

“That has been one of the best exercises for the last few years. The troops have demonstrated excellent communication and interaction”, stated the Chief of Defense today, 19 June, at the closing stage of the tactical live fire exercise Strike Back 2019 at Novo Selo Training Area.

Today the distinguished visitors and the media representatives witnessed capabilities for the conduct of a defensive operation shown by the participants of the exercise structured in a multinational battalion from the armed forces of Bulgaria, USA, Greece, Albania, and Northern Macedonia.

"The most important feature of one joint operation in a coalition format is the good communication and interaction, the unified comprehension of the command and the organization, as well as the common tactic, techniques, and procedures. What we witnessed today comprised exceptional dynamics, immense accuracy, and high coordination", declared president Rumen Radev in front of media representatives. He gave a very high estimate of the exercise and congratulated the exercise control, all commanders and the servicemen from the participant countries on the results achieved.

The distinguished visitors day started with a moment for silence in memory of the Canadian paratrooper, who perished in the line of duty during the exercise of airborne troops Swift Response 2019 directed by US Army Europe.

The final stage of Strike Back 2019 involved more than one hour of dynamic combat actions of the military formations of the armed forces of the five participant countries, which presented the acquired joint capabilities and interoperability as a result of the joint efforts during the planning and the preparation.

Bulgarian Army Commander Major General Mihail Popov Forces, officer scheduling the exercise, indicated that throughout the joint training the servicemen exchanged experience and also managed to bolster mutual reliance as partners and allies; and moreover, the military participants increased their capabilities. Furthermore, the General declared, "Being soldiers, we have been trained to fight and have the idea of the aftermath of warfare: death, havoc, and grief. Thus, as people wearing uniforms, we believe that it might be better for nations to stomach a hundred years of negotiations instead of a day of hostilities”.

The final stage of Strike Back 2019 comprised the following Bulgarian participants: 38th Mechanized Battalion equipped with a battery of self-propelled mortars and a mixed anti-tank platoon, 20th self-propelled artillery battalion of 2nd Mechanized Brigade, a tank company from the Center for training of specialists, as well as assets for close air support from the Air Force. US Army Europe participates with a mechanized company equipped with infantry fighting vehicles М2А3 Bradley and Humvee. The Hellenic Republic provided for the training a tank platoon with Leopard 2 tanks and AH-64 Apache helicopters for close air support. The armies of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, each, contributed an infantry platoon with their own armament while their combat vehicles Humvee were provided by 2nd Mechanized Brigade.

After the demonstration, there was a static display of armament and equipment used by the military units during the event.

The Distinguished Visitors Day of Strike Back 2019 was also honored by the Chief Secretary of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Dimitar Stoyanov, the Deputy Chief of Defence Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov, the Commander of the Joint Forces Command Lieutenant General Lyubcho Todorov, the Deputy Commander of the Bulgarian Joint Forces Command Major General Ivan Lalov, also holding the position of Bulgarian EXCON Director, senior officers from Bulgarian Armed Forces, national officials, ambassadors, military delegations and military attachés from the participating countries.

After the para drop in the evening of 17 June and the early hours of 18 June at Cheshnegirovo Airfield, the servicemen from 82nd Airborne Division move on with their actions featuring plans for seizure of key terrain in the area of Novo Selo Training Area.

In the evening of 19 June the paratroopers will be deployed with helicopters of 1 Air Operations Brigade of US Army Europe. „Swift Response - 2019“ continues on the territory of Bulgaria until 24 June 2019.

„Swift Response - 2019“ is an annual exercise of airborne troops held under the command of US Army Europe on the territories of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania from 13 June to 25 June 2019.

The exercise demonstrates strategic use of airborne troops with high degree of readiness, called Global Response Force, while conducting exercises for seizure of key terrain. That provides the opportunity of joint preparation with a view of development of capabilities for command and control of special operations simultaneously from dispersed locations.

The participation in such multinational exercises increases the readiness, bolsters the professional relationships and improves the general coordination among allies and partners in times of crisis.

Video and photographs can be accessed on the following web site:
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature

„Swift Response - 2019“ led by US Army Europe is an annual exercise with airborne troops conducted on the territories of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania from 13 June to 25 June 2015.

The total number amounts to approximately 5600 servicemen from eight countries while 1495 of them are para troopers.

On 17 June 2019 at night a Joint Forcible Entry will occur in military installation 1555 otherwise known as Cheshnegirovo airfield. According to the notional scenario, the ground defense of the area will be enacted by opposing force consisting of servicemen from 42nd mechanized battalion of 2nd mechanized brigade. Forwarding operating site Bezmer will provide close air support and destruction of land-based enemy air defense, air traffic control will be provided by Plovdiv airport, as the rescue and logistic support of the operation will be provided by the US.

„Swift Response - 2019“ will demonstrate strategic employment of airborne troops with high readiness called Global Response force, conducting exercise for seizing key terrain. That provides the opportunity for joint preparation for development of C2 capabilities for conduct of several operations from dispersed locations.

The participation in multinational exercises increases the readiness, improves the professional contacts and enhances the general coordination with allies and partners in times of contingencies.

You can access pictures and video at the following address:
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature