Graf Ignatievo Air Base

The 47-year-old Major Valentin Terziev is the pilot of the MiG-29 fighter jet missing in action over the Black Sea, colleagues of the pilot said. He is among the most experienced aces at the air base in Graf Ignatievo as per flight hours.

SOFIA, Bulgaria (BulgarianMilitary.com), 19 September 2018, Editor: Stanislava Georgieva, 

Ceremony at the Graf Ignatievo Base marked the end of the joint mission of the tasks of airspace protection by the Bulgarian and Italian Air Force, reports sega. 

Bulgaria's deputy defense minister confirmed on Tuesday that some military pilots will not take part in planned training this week.

"Some of the pilots from Graf Ignatievo air base will not perform training flights because of insecurity," said Deputy Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov.

Joint Bulgarian-Israeli Flight Training Collector's Item 17 will be held from 7 to 13 September in the airspace of the Republic of Bulgaria, reported BGNES.

The Bulgarian government gave the green light for four Italian Eurofighter Typhoons to temporarily guard the country's airspace in order to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO, officials said Wednesday, cited by Xinhua.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has announced that at Graf Ignatievo Air Base in Southern Bulgaria, US F-15C fighter jets are to land for participation in a joint Bulgarian-American flying training ''Thracian Eagle - 2017'', BNR reported.

Caretaker Minister of Defense Stefan Yanev met in Sofia General Tod Wolters, commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa and commander of Allied Air Command of NATO, BNR reported.

Topic of the discussion were joint exercises and flight trainings of the Air Forces of both countries. The guest praised the relations between Bulgaria and the US in the sphere of defense.

Bulgaria's Defense Ministry has said it seek to enter direct talks for the supply of ten engines for MiG-29 fighter jets, Offnews.bg reports.

The development was announced on Tuesday by the ministry itself after a meeting with the single bidder, a company called Aviostart.

As of tomorrow, training for joint tasks to be carried out under Air Policing will begin at the Graf Ignatievo air base. Bulgarian and American crews of MiG-19 and F-15 aircraft will participate in the training. The training will take place under the joint command of Torrejon, Spain and Sofia Area Control Centre.