Defence Ministry: Up to 150 US military coming to Bulgaria for joint exercise
Between 100 and 150 United States military personnel, with 15 infantry combat vehicles, are to arrive in Bulgaria next week from Germany as part of an exercise at the Novo Selo training ground, which began in January and will end by June 30, the Defence Ministry said.
“Joint exercises and training are usually short-term and help ensure our readiness and interoperability as Nato allies,” the ministry said in a statement on February 17.
Defence Minister Stefan Yanev, speaking to reporters in Brussels on February 17, said that the Nato battalion battle group to be formed in Bulgaria, under Bulgarian command, would be made up of 700 to 1000 military personnel.
Between 70 and 80 per cent of the military personnel would be Bulgarians, Yanev said.
He emphasised that the battle group was intended for training and would not be deployed outside Bulgaria.
Yanev said that beyond the 150 US troops arriving next week, it was not expected that additional US military would be deployed in Bulgaria.
He expected that the battalion would form in the next two to three months.
(Photo of Yanev: government.bg)
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