Graf Ignatievo Air Base hosts the flight training “Castle Forge – 2021” that begins today, 18 October 2021, with the participation of the Air Force and the Land Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, and forces of the 336th Combat Squadron of 4th Combat Wing of the US Air Force from the state of North Carolina.

“For 16 years, since 2006, Graf Ignatievo Air Base has hosted more than 20 Bulgarian-American flight exercises with the participation of forces and assets of the US Air Force in Europe and formations of the US National Guard”, declared Brigadier General Nikolay Rusev, Commander of Graf Ignatievo Air Base. He added: “This flight training is another step forward in the development of our fruitful cooperation which has led to real results that raise the level of interoperability, improve the flight training of Bulgarian crews as well as the development of standard operational procedures, techniques and tactics in line with NATO standards“. General Rusev wished all participants successful implementation of the joint tasks.

Major Bronco Mangano, Deputy Commander of the US participants for the period of the flight training, thanked for the hospitality of the Bulgarian side and confirmed that by flying together the military units of the Bulgarian and the US Air Force enhance their partnership and their contribution to NATO’s collective defence.

This is the first relocation of personnel and equipment from Seymour Johnson Air Base on the territory of Bulgaria with which MiG-29 fighters and L-39ZA fighter jets from Graf Ignatievo Air Base will take part in joint training operations this week. Su-25 aircraft from the Front Deployment Base in Bezmer and anti-aircraft missile formations from Stara Zagora and Karlovo will also participate in the training.

In the period 25 – 29 October 2021, the crews of the five US F-15E aircraft will be at Larissa Air Base in order to conduct joint operations with the Greek Air Force.

In the first week of November, they will return to Graf Ignatievo Air Base to conduct the second stage of the Bulgarian-US flight training which will end on 5 November 2021. The implementation of joint training tasks with US units strengthens the bilateral cooperation and increases interoperability between the armed forces of the two countries.

During the search operation, it was established that Major Valentin Terziev, the pilot of the MiG-29 fighter aircraft, died on June 9th in a night training flight tasked with aerial shooting (illuminated parachute target).

Major Valentin Dimitrov Terziev (47) had done active military service since August 1998. He graduated from G. Benkovski Air Force Academy having acquired specialization as a fighter pilot in the Air Force. He performed his entire military service at the 3rd Graf Ignatievo Air Base where the last position he held was a squadron Chief of Staff. Major Terziev had fighter pilot - first class specialty. He flew MiG-21 and MiG-29 aircraft. Over the years, he had been awarded many times by the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence, the Commander of the Air Force and the Commander of the Air Base.

During his service in the Air Force and until his last training flight, Major Terziev had fulfilled responsibly and professionally the tasks of protecting the inviolability of Bulgaria’s airspace.

The Ministry of Defence expresses its condolences to the relatives and friends of the pilot. May he rest in peace!

Today, June 9, 2021, while performing a training task over the sea area of ​​the Republic of Bulgaria, a MiG-29 aircraft of the Bulgarian Air Force lost radio communication and disappeared from the radars at 00:45.

A search and rescue operation was launched immediately and is still ongoing. It involves forces and assets from the Navy, the Joint Special Operations Command, the Border Police and the Air Force.

The Minister of Defense Georgi Panayotov and the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov are on their way to the area of ​​the incident.

The media will be informed in due time about the course of the search operation.

The tactical exercise with experimental and joint combat live fire "Shabla 21" has been suspended.

“An exceptionally high level of preparation and, in particular, convincing performance, with a highly efficient organization of communication, coordination and management of the exercise achieved in a complex environment," this was the assessment made by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev after the demonstrations of defence capabilities done by the participants in the national tactical exercise with live firings and international participation "Strike Back - 21". Today, June 4th, at Koren training area, the President accompanied by the Minister of Defense Georgi Panayotov and the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov monitored the dynamic demonstration. President Radev congratulated the servicemen of the Bulgarian and the Allied armies participating in the exercise as well as the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces and of the Land Forces on the successful performance of the exercise. "It reveals a lot, it demonstrates that the Bulgarian army can act effectively in a complex tactical situation in an international environment," said President Radev.

Today, servicemen from the 31st Mechanized Battalion of the 2nd Tundzha Mechanized Brigade, the 20th self-propelled artillery division and the Center for Training Specialists of the Bulgarian Land Forces, a light infantry platoon from Romania, a tactical battlegroup from Greece as well as helicopters from the Bulgarian and Greek Air Forces took part in the defence capabilities demonstration. The participants demonstrated capabilities employed in a defense operation of coalition format as part of the multinational Southeast Division.

The dynamic display was also monitored by the Ambassadors of the Hellenic Republic, Romania and the United States. H.E. Dimitrios Chronopoulos, H.E. Brandusa Joana Predescu and H.E. Hero Mustafa, the Commander of the US Army Europe and Africa, General Christopher Cavoli, the Chief of Defence Staff of Romania, Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu, and the Deputy Chief of Defense of Greece, Vice Admiral Ioannis Drymousis.

The national exercise with international participation "Strike Back - 21" is part of a series of related exercises "Defender Europe - 21". It is conducted in the period 26 May 26 - 5 June 2021 at Koren Training Area. Nearly 800 servicemen from the Land Forces of Bulgaria with up to 210 units of combat and specialized equipment participate in the exercise. The immediate aviation support is performed by Su-25 aircraft, Mi-24 and AN-Apache helicopters from the air forces of the participating nations. A tactical battlegroup from Greece, a light infantry platoon from Romania and a platoon of cadets from Vasil Levski National Defence University also take part in the exercise.

“The state of the Armed Forces’ defence capabilities allows for the fulfilment of the tasks under the missions arising from the constitutional obligations to guarantee the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the country on a national level as well as within the framework NATO's collective defence and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union,” said the Minister of Defence Georgi Pamayotov today, 3 June 2021. He emphasized that the fulfilment of the tasks is accomplished under the conditions of various resource and technological constraints, and actions are undertaken to achieve their gradual phased reduction.

At the press conference, attended also by the Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Minister Panayotov introduced the two Deputy Ministers of Defence Alexander Petkov and Plamen Yordanov.

The Minister of Defence highlighted the key priority of the caretaker government: the organization and normal conduct of the early parliamentary elections. The Ministry of Defence will assist the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conducting the elections abroad.

"Our task is to ensure the normal operation and functioning of the Ministry of Defence. This means that the Armed Forces should continue their preparations for the performance of the defence tasks, ensuring the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Bulgaria," Minister Panayotov said. He pointed out that a decision was made by NATO to withdraw all contingents involved in the Alliance's mission in Afghanistan. "One of our priorities is to ensure the smooth and accident-free withdrawal of our contingent and the return of our boys and girls to Bulgaria," the Minister of Defence stressed.
As a priority, he also pointed out Bulgaria's active participation in both NATO and in the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU.

Minister Panayotov also commented on the progress of the three modernization projects. "The work on the project for the acquisition of a new multi-role fighter F-16 is completed smoothly, the main activities on the acceptance of the new fighter aircraft are concentrated in Graf Ignatievo Air Base where BGN 300 million are allocated to infrastructure-related activities," said Minister Panayotov.

He emphasized that a contract for the acquisition of two modular patrol vessels had been signed with the German company Lursen. "What I personally did not know was that the ships were purchased without the respective ammunition. I was provided with an explanation that this was a normal process. However, it is important to know that work is underway on a project to purchase ammunition for the two ships. The price of these ammunition sets varies between BGN 400 million and one billion", Georgi Panayotov commented.