United States Helps Boost Bulgaria’s Regional Defense Leadership with Multinational Workshop

The United States and Bulgaria have successfully concluded a dynamic regional workshop, hosted by the Bulgarian Air Force, on military air operations management.  

This three-day event brought together defense ministries from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine—countries operating the F-16 fighter aircraft—to collaborate on modernizing air operations platforms and enhancing regional defense capabilities. 
 
Organized by the U.S. Department of War’s Defense Security Cooperation University, the workshop highlighted Bulgaria’s growing leadership in the regional defense sector. The Bulgarian Air Force played a pivotal role in shaping the agenda, consulting with partner air forces to identify shared challenges and opportunities.  
 
“This training equips participating air forces with the strategic thinking and problem-solving skills needed to effectively manage operational planning and overcome the challenges of operating modern fighter fleets.”  said Col. John Carter, U.S. Air Force Attaché in Bulgaria. He emphasized the workshop’s impact. “The enhanced capabilities demonstrated during this workshop will be vital for future air operations.” 
 
Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, Mag. Gen. Nikolay Rusev, noted that training events such as the annual workshop and the ability it provides for sharing best knowledge and practices are of a great help to the Bulgaria’s continued process of modernizing its capabilities in the air domain. He said: “With the delivery of our initial batch of F-16 Block 70s, we made the first step towards strengthening our defense capabilities. And the ways to achieve operational readiness we are discussing today will enable us to maximize the aircraft’s effectiveness to protect Bulgaria’s airspace.” 
 
H. Martin McDowell, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, opened the workshop, saying: “Bulgaria’s leadership in this workshop is just the latest example of an impressive defense modernization program and its growing capabilities.  We are proud to assist the Air Force in optimizing its use of this best-in-class fighter aircraft.  Bulgaria will play a vital role in the formation of a network of F-16 operators, a network that will boost the aircraft’s success in defending this country and NATO’s eastern flank.” 
 
This workshop marks the third in a series of regional capacity-building events organized by the U.S. government, building on successful sessions held in Warsaw and Bratislava in 2024. 

Source: U.S. Embassy Sofia