SOFIA, (BM) – A very good interaction in the carrying out tasks typical of a defence operation was demonstrated yesterday, June 12, by servicemen from Bulgaria, the United States, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece at the Novo Selo Training Area, where the exercise Strike Back 2019 is taking place, learned Bulgarianmilitary.com.
The tactical drills were watched by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Minister of Defence Krasimir Karakachanov, Chief of Defence General Andrey Botsev and senior officers of the Bulgarian Army.
“In these drills a comradeship in arms is created and the preparation of the individual forces is increased,” Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told journalists. He congratulated the participants in the exercise and wished them to train together but never to go into battles; to create a good military friendship and always to be ready for a “strike back”.
The exercise, which began on June 7, involved more than 600 servicemen from the Land Forces and the Air Force of the Bulgarian Army. They are a part of three mechanized battalions, a self-propelled artillery division and serving units from the 2nd Mechanized Brigade, a tank company from the Center for Preparation of Specialists, as well as crews and engineers with means of immediate aviation support from Krumovo Air Base. The exercise also includes up to 200 servicemen from the US Army (one mechanized company), Albania (one infantry platoon), North Macedonia (one infantry platoon) and Greece (one tank platoon and helicopters for immediate aviation support).
At the Novo Selo Training Area, the participants conducted a counterattack, a cleansing operation of a populated area and a drill in firing preparation with combat equipment. In the tactical actions participation took a Bulgarian company, reinforced with a tank platoon from the 38th mechanized battalion, commanded by Captain Asen Atanasov and a multinational company composed of a Bulgarian, North Macedonian and Albanian platoons, commanded by Captain Rosen Nachev. Within the exercise, the commander of the multinational battalion is Lieutenant Colonel Nikolay Nikolov, commander of the 38th Mechanized Battalion of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade. The firings were carried out by servicemen from the multinational battalion, formed during the exercise, with tanks and armored personnel carriers (BTR-60 PB-MD1) in service with the Bulgarian Land Forces, tanks “Leopard” from the Greek Armed Forces and armored combat vehicles “Bradley” from the United States Army.
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BulgarianMilitary.com
Translator editor: Monika Evgenieva
Source: MoD