The Bulgarian Air Force will host the international flight training "Thracian Viper - 2020" which will take place in the period 14 - 25 September 2020 in the airspace of our country. Forces and resources of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Air Force of the Hellenic Republic and of Romania will participate in the joint flights. During the second flight week, crews from the United States Air Forces in Europe with F-16 aircraft will join the international training, and the F-16s will be relocated to Graf Ignatievo Air Base on 18 September 2020.

The leader of the flight training on the Bulgarian side is the commander of Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, Brigadier General Dimitar Petrov.

According to the scenario of the training combat activities, the Bulgarian Air Force will improve its training in defensive and offensive air operations jointly with its coalition partners. Air Defense units of the Air Force and of the Land Forces will protect the territory and the critical infrastructure sites of our country from the raids of combined aviation groups which will simulate launching of air strikes. The training plan envisages the complexity of the performed tasks to intensify throughout the course of the training activities and to cover fulfilment of tasks specific to the aviation and air defense.
On the Bulgarian side, servicemen from the Command, control and surveillance base, crews of MiG-29 fighter aircraft and L-39 training/light combat aircraft from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, crews of Mi-24 and AS-532 Cougar helicopters from Krumovo Air Force Base as well as air defense units of the Air Force and of the Land Forces will participate in the international training.

The F-18 aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force will operate from the territory of our northern neighbor Romania. The F-16s and MiG-21s Lancer aircraft of the Romanian Air Force, and the F-16s of the Greek Air Force will conduct take-off and landing from their bases of permanent deployment.

"Thracian Viper - 2020" is this year’s largest international flight training hosted by and with the participation of the Bulgarian Air Force, which will provide the participants with opportunities to gain valuable experience with real interaction in an international environment.

Bulgaria will host the 14th specialized international defence equipment exhibition "Hemus 2020 - Defence, Counterterrorism and Security", which will be held in the period 30 September - 3 October 2020 at the International Fair in the town of Plovdiv.

The international exhibition "Hemus - 2020" is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria, and is organized by "Hemus-95" Foundation.

This year, the exhibition will be accompanied by an international scientific conference, a session of the Industrial Forum, as well as by live fire demonstration at the Central Artillery Technical Test Range "Zmeyovo".

The official opening of the 14th International Defence Equipment Exhibition "Hemus - 2020" will take place on 30 September 2020 at the International Fair in the town of Plovdiv. Traditionally, before the ceremony a joint press conference of the organizers of the exhibition will be held at which you will have the opportunity to obtain detailed information on the participants and the accompanying events.

The Press Center of the Ministry of Defence will organize the admission of media representatives to cover the official opening of the International Exhibition "Hemus - 2020" and the accompanying events. For this purpose, it is necessary for the permanently accredited journalists to confirm their participation by providing not later than 9 September 2020 to e-mail: presscntr@mod.bg the following information: first name, second name, surname, Personal Identification Number, the number of the personal identity card, the name of the media, the position in the respective media, contact phone, e-mail address, journalist card number.

The contact telephone at the Press Center of the Ministry of Defence is: 02/92 20 954.

The corvette Bodri of the First Patrol Ship Division from the Bulgarian Navy Flotilla of warships and auxiliary vessels returned to the maritime base in Varna today, 27 July 2020, after a nine-day voyage. The warship took part in the five-day US-Ukrainian exercise "Sea Breeze 2020" in the Black Sea.

During the exercise, actions on anti-ship defence, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare were conducted and signaling warfare as well as communication exercises were performed. The Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 also took part in these exercises.

“The maritime coordination element will enable us to be maximally informed with respect to everything taking place in the Black Sea region.” This was the statement made today, 20 July 2020, by the Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov for journalists in Varna.

Minister Karakachanov and the Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov visited the Maritime Coordination Element for the Black Sea as well as Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. The Ambassador of the USA, HE Hero Mustafa, the Ambassador of Romania, HE Ion Galea and the Ambassador of Georgia, HE Tamara Liluashvili, also took part in this visit. They were briefed on the capabilities and tasks of the Naval Coordination Element, observed a demonstration on the use of the capabilities provided by boats type "RHIB-7m, and examined Drazki frigate.

“Through this visit, the ambassadors also express their solidarity with the efforts Bulgaria makes towards establishing this maritime coordination center,” the Minister of Defence commented.

He also told reporters that there was no delay due to the corona virus in the work on the project for the new F-16 fighter aircraft: "In a letter from the Pentagon and the contractor Lockheed Martin, we were assured that the pandemic did not delay the implementation of the contract."

The Minister of Defense, the Chief of Defense and the Ambassadors visited Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy where they examined the educational-technical facilities. The President of the Naval Academy, Flotilla Admiral Professor D.Sc. Boyan Mednikarov, acquainted them with the specialties and the career prospects of the Academy’s graduates in the field of maritime military and civil affairs.

Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov and Defence Chief Admiral Eftimov expressed their very high opinion of the level of training of the Navy as demonstrated today within the national naval exercise with international participation Breeze 2020.

“Our Navy is always ready to face challenges. The level of training of our seamen is very good and it will become even better once we’ve implemented the project for the acquisition of two new multipurpose patrol vessels and we’ve completed the modernization of the two frigates,” Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov told the media after nearly two hours at sea.

Minister Karakachanov reminded them that the German company Lürssen was the contractor selected to build the two new modular patrol vessels. “The negotiations on the contract are underway and it is expected to be signed in October,” Minister Karakachanov explained, adding that both ships are going to be built in Bulgaria. He pointed out that one of the conditions the bidders had to meet was that at least one of the vessels be built in a Bulgarian shipyard. He further clarified that “the fact that both ships are going to be built here means that about 20% of the project’s budget will go back to Bulgaria in the form of salaries, health insurance and social security payments, etc.”

“A good year for the Navy. In June we performed experimental practice missile fire with our Rubezh coastal anti-ship missile system (NATO codification SSC-3 Styx) for the first time in 18 years. The exercise whose DV Day we are attending today is unfolding very well according to all assessments. The seamen showed great progress in working out the serials displayed. We are showing that we are interoperable,” said Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov.

What Admiral Eftimov identified as being of key importance was the leadership of the task force, executed by Flotilla Admiral Velko Velkov, commander of the combatant and auxiliary ship flotilla, and the interaction with U.S. Naval aircraft. Admiral Eftimov thanked Navy Commander Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov for the consistent effort invested, and went on to thank the crew of the Gordi frigate, who managed to prepare the vessel for the tasks set within a very short time.

“All of the tasks to be performed at sea were accomplished in full,” said RADM Kiril Mihaylov, Navy Commander, referring to this year's naval exercise Breeze 2020. He was also satisfied with the performance of the service members during the exercise and was pleased to note that today, at the DV and Media Day, the crews managed to demonstrate a good portion of the serials practised.

The activities performed today focused on safety and security at sea and comprised, inter alia, handling a commercial ship accident, rescuing people in distress, cleaning up an oil spill, extinguishing a fire on board of a ship, evacuation of an injured service member, taking control of a seized commercial vessel. Other events the distinguished visitors also saw included a demonstration of firing a MANPAD against an aerial target, firing from AS565MB Panther helicopter against a sea target, a submarine attack, and employment of anti-submarine bombs.

Rumen Radev, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, was also among the distinguished visitors and viewed the demonstrations from the board of the Gordi frigate, together with representatives of the central and local government, high officers, and other guests.