BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. The seventh edition of the international flight exercise "European Spartan Exercise 2025" (ESE 2025) was officially opened at the 22nd Air Base in Bezmer, Bulgaria, TurkicWorld reports.
Crews from the air forces of Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Lithuania will participate.
The international flight exercise is conducted under the program agreement between operators of C-27J aircraft from EU member states and will continue until October 3, 2025. For the first time, countries operating Casa C-295 aircraft will also participate.
"European Spartan Exercise has proven over the years its practical and effective contribution to the exchange of international experience through the execution of a wide range of special tasks and missions by transport aviation crews," said Colonel Lazarin Lazarov, commander of the 16th Aviation Air Base in Sofia and head of ESE 2025, in his address to participants. He emphasized that all stages of preparation, joint planning, and the conduct of the exercise provide a unique opportunity for allies to improve their organizational experience and tactical skills while contributing to strengthening trust and capabilities among coalition partners for participation in joint operations.
Deputy Head of ESE 2025, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Innocenti, highlighted the ambition for the current exercise to become an even more dynamic training environment for flight and technical personnel, with the inclusion of Casa C-295 transport aircraft.
