A 10-day training of the European Air Transport Command with the participation of aircraft from 11 NATO countries kicked off in the airspace of Bulgaria on Tuesday, officials said.
"The main objective is to synchronize actions in the conduct of joint operations in response to international crises and expand the European Union's capacity for air carriage of troops, weapons and equipment in peacetime," Bulgarian Defense Ministry said in a press release.
A total of 19 aircraft of Bulgaria, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Greece took part in the training, and 800 troops will participate in the drill under the auspices of the European Defense Agency, the press release said.
Large transport aircraft C-130 "Hercules", C-27 "Spartan", C-297 "Casa" and C-160 "Transall" will operate from Plovdiv, Graf Ignatrievo and Cheshnigirovo airports as well as the landing site near the village of Chernogorovo, some 110 to 150 km southeast of Sofia, the ministry said.
MiG-29 fighters and anti-aircraft missiles of the Bulgarian Air Force, and F-16s and an AWACS of the Greek Air Force are also involved in the exercise, the press release said.
"The training will be held on a tactical background as close as possible to real combat operations in the contemporary conditions," the press release said.
Intensive flights and flights at small and extremely low altitudes near settlements will be performed, it said.
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