site.btaMultinational Exercise THRACIAN BLADE 2026 Begins at Bulgaria’s Krumovo Air Base

The multinational flight exercise THRACIAN BLADE 2026 officially began on Thursday with an opening ceremony at the 24th Air Base in Krumovo, according to a press release issued by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence. The exercise is conducted under the leadership of the Bulgarian Air Force and the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC) in Sintra, Portugal.

Military personnel and aircraft from the air forces of Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, and Switzerland are taking part in the exercise. On the Bulgarian side, forces and assets from the Land Forces, the Joint Special Operations Command, the Logistics Support Command, the Military Police Service, and the Military Medical Academy will also participate. Observers from the armed forces of Greece, Cyprus, Czechia, and New Zealand are attending the exercise as well.

“Over the coming weeks, our shared objective is clear – to strengthen interoperability, improve the effectiveness of our operations, and enhance our capabilities for planning, coordinating, and conducting complex joint missions in a multinational environment,” said Brigadier General Dimitar Pavlov, commander of the 24th Air Base, in his address to the participating nations.

Exercise Director Colonel Peyo Donchev emphasized that the Bulgarian Air Force highly values the trust placed in it by the MHTC and the opportunity to host THRACIAN BLADE 2026, one of Europe’s largest multinational helicopter crew training exercises. He voiced confidence that all participants would make full use of their capabilities and thanked the teams involved in the preparation of the exercise for their professionalism and dedication.

Speaking on behalf of the MHTC leadership, Lieutenant Colonel Zoltan Szili, deputy commander of the training centre, said that Bulgaria’s role as host extends far beyond providing airspace and personnel. He described it as a major effort and a demonstration of the Bulgarian Armed Forces’ capabilities in planning, organizing, providing logistical support, and facilitating such a large-scale multinational exercise.

A total of 23 types of aircraft and aviation systems from the participating countries are involved in THRACIAN BLADE 2026. These include AS 532 AL Cougar, Mi-17, Mi-35, Bell 206, OH-58, AW169, H145, and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters; Su-25, L-39ZA, C-27J Spartan, and L-410 aircraft; F-16 Block 70, MiG-29, and JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets; as well as BANStm VSHORAD portable air-defence systems.

Joint flight operations began on June 4 and will continue through June 19, 2026, featuring a range of training missions, including flights at low and extremely low altitudes, the ministry also said.