site.btaEuropean Spartan Exercise 2025 Flight Training to Begin in Bulgaria on September 23

Five EU countries will hold a flight training event codenamed European Spartan Exercise 2025 (ESE 25) at the Bezmer and Cheshnegirovo military airfields in Southern Bulgaria, beginning on September 23. Air force units from Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Bulgaria will perform tasks under an agreement among EU member states operating C-27J aircraft, the press office of the Bezmer Air Base said. Operators of Casa C-295 will also take part for the first time.

The aim is to improve interoperability and optimize resources. The participants will practice tactical landing approaches, low flying, tactical flights, troops and cargo landing, and medical aerial evacuation.

The Bulgarian Air Force hosted a European Spartan Exercise in 2022. It involved four C-27J military transport planes with crews from Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria.