Air forces from Bulgaria, Italy, Denmark and Lithuania opened a joint training exercise today, the defense ministry says. The exercise, called ETAP-C 26-3, stands for "European Tactical Airlift Course 2026-3."

Training runs until October 8, with crews flying tasks around the airfields of Plovdiv, Cheshnegirovo, Dolna Mitropolia and Bezmer.

The European Air Transport Training Centre in Zaragoza and the European Air Transport Command in Eindhoven are helping run the exercise too.

Pilots will practice moving troops and cargo, dropping paratroopers and releasing supplies by parachute. They'll also fly tactical approaches for landing, takeoff and landing on short, unprepared runways. The aim is to get the different air forces flying the same way, prepare crews to work in tough conditions, and help the armies operate together.

Colonel Plamen Donchev, deputy chief of staff for air force operations, welcomed the participants at the opening. He said crews face hard tasks and complex tactical scenarios that take more than flying skill — they also need sound judgment, discipline and teamwork.

"I know from my own experience how demanding and intense this training is, but also how much it's worth in knowledge and skills," Donchev said. He added that each country's uniforms and aircraft may look different, but everyone shares the same goal: to get better, more confident and more capable.

Also at the ceremony were the commander of the 24th Air Base, Brigadier General Dimitar Pavlov, and the exercise director, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Araez Gonzalez.

Bulgaria's air force also hosted the "Thracian Viper 2026" exercise with Greece and Romania from July 20 to 24.