Mikoyan MiG-29

An impressive air show marked the the 102nd anniversary of Bulgaria's Air Force at Sofia Vrazhdebna airport on Saturday.

A culmination of the event that attracted thousands of visitors was Pugachev's Cobra manoeuvre performed by a MiG 29 jet fighter.

Alliance forces have started air combat exercises MACE XVI in Slovakia with 14 member states participating, the country's Defense Minister says.

As many as 660 personnel is expected to attend, and two non-NATO countries of the Partnership for Peace
program have also joined, Martina Belkovska was quoted by the Global Post as saying.

Bulgaria and Romania will begin a joint air policing exercise this month to practice measures against potential threat to strategic facilities from hijacked or suspicious aircraft.

A dozen US Air Force F-15s and some 180 personnel have been deployed at Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo Air Base to take part in a bilateral exercise with the Bulgarian Air Force.

The two-week training exercise codenamed Thracian Eagle 2014 comes at a time when US’ Eastern European partners and allies are concerned about rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev criticized the tightening of the country's defense budget and urged for its immediate increase. 

“The country must increase its defense budget to at least 1.5% of GDP and to bring it back to the 2%, which we had before the start of the economic downturn,” Plevneliev said after his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. 

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev suggested that Russia was intentionally provoking extraordinary flights of Bulgarian fighters. 

Bulgaria, Serbia improving military co-operation

Joint training operations and preparation for multi-national exercises are the focal points of military co-operation between Bulgaria and Serbia.

Bulgaria soldiers are working with troops from Serbia on joint exercises and co-operation. [AFP]