Part of Nato joint exercise Neptune Strike to held in Bulgaria’s airspace
On March 26 and 27, a joint exercise will be held in the airspace of Bulgaria, over the Novo Selo training range and in the northeastern part of the country, within the framework of Nato Enhanced Vigilance Measures Neptune Strike 26-1, Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry said on March 25.
Neptune Strike demonstrates Nato’s capabilities to employ and integrate multinational naval and strike forces at short notice and over long distances, as well as Nato’s ability to defend the entire Alliance territory through coordinated actions in the air, land and maritime domains, the Defence Ministry said.
In a separate statement, Nato said that the first iteration of its premier enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA), Neptune Strike 26 is taking place from March 25 to April 1, combining the maritime-strike capabilities of expeditionary and carrier strike groups operating in the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea.
Under the lead of Naval Striking and Support Forces Nato (STRIKFORNATO), headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, the Spanish Navy’s Juan Carlos I expeditionary strike group, the Italian Navy’s Cavour carrier strike group and supported by the French Navy’s carrier strike group Charles de Gaulle will contribute to Nato’s vigilance efforts at its Southern and South-Eastern flank.
Supported by Nato’s unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) RQ-4D from the Nato Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force (NISRF) based at Sigonella, Italy, the strike groups’ air assets, including fourth and fifth generation fighter jets, will carry out missions from the Mediterranean Sea across continental Europe and the Black Sea region.
Those missions comprise the engagement of targets on firing ranges in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania. The executions proof Nato’s long-range strike capabilities and the Alliance’s interoperability across the air, land and sea.
By using the Black Sea’s international air space, Nato maintain its presence in the region to continue its vigilance alongside its Eastern border as part of its 360-degree defence approach- being ready against any threats from any directions, the Nato statement said.
This Neptune Strike iteration sees contributions by Albania, Bulgaria, Croation, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and the United States.
The Neptune Strike series, which was conceived in 2020, underscores Nato’s ability to integrate multinational naval and strike forces rapidly, Nato said.
These activities are long-planned, defensive in nature, adapting to current developments, and fully compliant with international law, the Alliance statement said.
(Photo, from Neptune Strike 25: Nato)
