Airforces

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 13

EXERCISE Balkan Spartan 2017

he second annual Balkan

Spartan multinational

air training exercise took

place between June 7 and 16 at

Vrazhdebna/Sofia Airport North

Side in Bulgaria, hosted by the 16.

Transportna Aviacionna Grupa

(16th Transport Aviation Group)

of the Bulgarski Voennovazdushni

Sili (BVVS, Bulgarian Air Force).

Three NATO C-27J Spartan

operators took part: host nation

Bulgaria, Italy and Lithuania.

Romania was unable to allocate

an aircraft for the event, while

Slovakia – awaiting its first delivery

• took part with observers.
  The main aim, according
  to exercise director Colonel
  Rumen Kondev from the BVVS
  Command, is to improve
  co-operation and interoperability
  between participating nations.
  The event also sought to
  exchange experience in
  maintenance, loading/offloading
  of cargoes and reconfiguration
  of the C-27J’s cargo hold
  for different missions.
  All tactical flying took place in
  southern Bulgaria, mainly around
  Plovdiv, the host nation providing
  vast blocks of airspace free from
  civilian traffic at ultra-low and
  low level over mountainous and
  flat terrain – plus a dedicated
  drop zone, an aeromedical team
  and special forces paratroops.
  The three Spartans flew one
  mission of around 2 hours’
  duration each day. Mentors
  from the three nations, who

are an integral part of the

event, flew on board during

operations. As experienced

pilots or loadmasters, they also

evaluated crew performance

and monitored adherence

to flight safety standards.

The missions were of medium

difficulty, covering a set of tactical

air transport mission profiles.

Requirements included low-

level tactical navigation down

to 300ft (91m) above terrain;

simulation of cargo drops at

Landing Zone (LZ) ‘Africa’ on

the abandoned Tcheshinigirovo

airfield near Plovdiv; aeromedical

evacuation; and paratroop

jumps using a static line.

The Spartans also practised

tactical approaches and

departures from LZ Africa’s semi-

prepared concrete airstrip, which

is some 2,620ft (800m) in length.

The first Balkan Spartan,

held in Bulgaria in July 2016,

involved Bulgarian, Italian and

Romanian aircraft. The event

is set to become a fixture in the

European Spartan community’s

calendar, affording flexible and

tailored training opportunities

for less experienced tactical

air transport crews.

This year’s Balkan

Spartan air training

exercise saw three

C-27J operators train

shoulder to shoulder in

Bulgaria, as Alexander

Mladenov reports.

C-27J school in Sofia

Above: The international Spartan group was parked on the ramp at

Vrazhdebna/Sofia Airport North Side to facilitate joint ground operations,

including servicing and loading/offoading practice. All photos, Alexander Mladenov

Below: A Bulgarian C-27J crew prepares the cockpit for departure on June

14. The mission involved dropping paratroops from the Bulgarian special
    operations forces at LZ ‘Africa’.

T

AFM

Lithuanian Air Force C-27J ‘07 Blue’ (c/n 4139) ‘Algirdas’. Lithuania operates

three Spartans delivered in December 2006, December 2008 and October 2009.

They serve with the Transporto Eskadrile at Šiauliai-Zokniai.