site.btaBulgarian, Romanian Air Forces Conduct Joint Flight Training Exercise Blue Bridge 2026

The Bulgarian and Romanian Air Forces conducted a joint air-policing exercise dubbed "Blue Bridge 2026", the Defence Ministry press centre reported on Tuesday.

Bulgarian and Romanian aircrews executed procedures for the interception, escort, and forced landing of an "intruder" aircraft in a scenario simulating real-world air-policing situations. The flights aimed to enhance coordination and interoperability between the air forces of the two neighboring countries and to refine crew coordination during cross-border air traffic control and airspace protection operations.

During the first phase of the exercise, Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled for an air-policing mission involving a C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft that had deviated from its flight path. After establishing control over the situation and handing off the target to Bulgarian on-duty forces, a pair of MiG-29s continued the mission, forcing the Romanian transport aircraft to land at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, the Defence Ministry added. The second phase involved practicing similar procedures to force a C-27J Spartan to land at a designated airfield in Romania.

The Blue Bridge joint flight training exercise has been held annually since 2012, strengthening cooperation between the Bulgarian and Romanian Air Forces, the Ministry informed. The Bulgarian-Greek flight training exercise "Green Bridge 2026" was successfully conducted in September. During the exercise, aircrews practiced procedures for the intercepting, transferring, and handing over an aircraft that had violated its flight plan during cross-border operations.