Someone cut the grass here โ and then just left the green cuttings lying around. Kilograms of semi-dry patches of meadow are now floating in the air as a Bulgarian Army Cougar helicopter prepares to land. The rotorcraft almost disappears behind a brown-green wall formed by its own downdraft. At the same time, a Serbian Mi-35M is approaching on the horizon, providing fire cover for the Bulgarians.
โPumaโ is intended to house wounded soldiers โ Bulgarian special forces who have just won a glorious victory together with their comrades from Austria, Switzerland and Slovakia: with their joint efforts they managed to capture a dilapidated cube-shaped house โ about 100 meters in a straight line from our location, where we, as media observers, are following the events live from a safe distance.
The Bulgarian army invited people to the glittering finale of the major exercise Thracian Blade 26, in which some 1,200 soldiers from eight countries trained together for three weeks on combat tactics โin a multinational environment,โ the Bulgarians said in an official newsletter.
The Lost Place Comes to Life
The denouement of the exercises, which we are allowed to witness, takes place in Cheshnegirovo, half an hourโs drive from Plovdiv. Cheshnegirovo used to be a busy Bulgarian Air Force base, but that was a long time ago. There have been no regular flights here since 2002. Today, the abandoned airbase exudes the wildly romantic atmosphere of a lost place. Where MiG-23 fighters once stood in rows, weeds are now sprouting between the concrete slabs of the former apron, abandoned buildings and overgrown paths characterize the picture.
Patrick Zwerger
The MiG-23BN and UB of the Bulgarian Air Force were once serviced here. Today, the large hall is completely empty, as is the entire base.
But the abandoned area seems ideal for the VIP demonstration portion of the Thracian Blade exercise. And so, at least for this day, life returns to Cheshnegirovo. The military is once again on duty at the entrance gates, checking the passports of arriving visitors and letting in only those who are actually on the guest list.
The station area of โโthe former technical hall, which is now an empty building, has been temporarily turned into a parking lot, and a VIP grandstand has been installed right on the old taxiway. At the forefront of the action is a shabby gray-blue Zil-131 truck, which fits perfectly into the gloomy charm of the old base. But, in contrast, Zil is still active: with a command post and two antennas, it will serve as a mobile control tower in the coming hours.
Patrick Zwerger
The lights are back on in the Zil truck: the old Soviet vehicle served as a mobile control tower for the Thracian Blade.
Attack of MiG-29 and Su-25
Gradually the stands fill with important personalities, and a tense silence ensues. And then the hot part of the day begins, which for about 30 minutes turns the abandoned Cheshnegirovo airfield into a strategically important battlefield. Two Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29s, which had recently taken off from their base at Graf Ignatievo, attacked the area from the west. They are immediately attacked in the sky by two Bulgarian F-16Vs โ also at home in Graf Ignatievo.
After several spectacular battles, the smoking MiGs surrender to their successors โ but the F-16s alone will not be able to stop the attackers. Therefore, the Su-25 group is trying to contain the advance of enemy troops across the field. They excite the public with simulated ground attacks โ the Bulgarian Su-25s enjoy exotic status. The Soviet attack aircraft stationed at Besmer are the last of their kind in all of Europe.
Patrick Zwerger
Two Su-25s from Besmer carried out simulated ground attacks on an abandoned air base.
Helicopter hour
The battle for the base is now in full swing. A C-27J Spartan drops cargo from a height of 300 meters โ equipment for special forces, who a few minutes later reach the center of events by helicopter. Since Thracian Blade is primarily a helicopter exercise and is sponsored by the multinational MHTC helicopter training center based in Portugal, it marks the start of a critical phase for the participating aircrews.
In quick succession, rotorcraft from the participating armed forces zip past the spectators at ant-height: Bulgarian Cougars, an AW169 and Kiowa from Austria, another Cougar from Switzerland, a Slovakian Black Hawk, an H145M from Serbia โ and last but not least, the star of the event, the Serbian Mi-35M, which is doing the honors for the first time at an MHTC exercise.
The Russian-made Mi-35M is the only true attack helicopter providing local air support. Thus protected, special forces descend from Cougar helicopters and secure the area. Gunshots are heard as ground troops rush towards the house in front of us.
Patrick Zwerger
Bulgarian pumas gather ground troops, who soon storm the platform.
Wide range of exercises
โThracian Blade 26 missions cover a wide range of realistic and practical training objectives, including air assault, assault operations, medical evacuation and special reconnaissance, NOE flights, live-fire exercises and air defense tactics,โ notes the official MHTC briefing on the content of the exercise. The air is correspondingly lively, and on the ground the first wounded are carried away from the โbattlefield.โ After almost three weeks of training with the theoretical part at the start, the processes are familiar, everything is coordinated, everyone knows their task.
As the Pumas pick up the wounded soldiers under Serbian protection and leave, calm returns to Cheshnegirovo โ but not for long, as a line of helicopters deployed for the grand final thunders from the west โ one by one, the helicopters land at the old air base, roll past the noses of VIPs and media representatives and line up on the platform.
Patrick Zwerger
The Serbian Mi-35M took part in the MHTS exercises for the first time โ and attracted a lot of attention. The crew clearly enjoyed it.
Mi-35M as bait for the crowd
The crews then answer questions in good spirits in front of their helicopters, with the crew of the Serbian Mi-35 in particular being the focus. The Serbs take this calmly: โWe already know that we are attractive,โ the pilot smiles. And the mechanic adds: โWe had a good time here and made a lot of new friends โ weโd love to come back.โ
A sentence that the Bulgarian officer who had just quickly approached joyfully accepted. โWe are all neighbors, brothers,โ he pats the Serb on the shoulder and shakes his hand. โItโs great that you were there.โ