Bulgarian and Romanian fighter pilots recently carried out a joint air policing exercise, successfully completing all operational procedures for monitoring and controlling shared airspace, the Ministry of Defence reported. The training took place as part of the Blue Bridge 2025 flight exercise and involved MiG-29 crews from Bulgaria’s 3rd Air Base and F-16 pilots from the Romanian Air Force.

The exercise simulated the intrusion of an unauthorized aircraft across the Bulgaria–Romania border. A C-27J Spartan military transport from Sofia’s 16th Air Base acted as the “intruder,” prompting a coordinated response from fighter jets directed by the aviation command center. Participating aircraft carried out a full range of air policing tasks, including interception, visual identification, escorting the intruder, handover between national air forces, and compelling the aircraft to land at a designated airbase.

Blue Bridge is an annual bilateral exercise aimed at strengthening cooperation, coordination, and operational interoperability between the Bulgarian and Romanian air forces. It focuses on cross-border airspace surveillance and ensures readiness for air policing missions.

In a recent interview, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov noted that Bulgaria has been bolstering monitoring in the country’s northeastern airspace. He added that the deployment of forces and assets is ongoing, following directives from the Chief of Defence, to maintain heightened vigilance in the region.

Source: Ministry of Defense