In Bulgarian airspace, the Italian and Bulgarian Air Forces are training together to strengthen joint protection of NATO airspace. The 4th Wing Air Task Force has been redeployed to Bulgaria for the Enhanced Air Policing mission “Bulgarian Horse” was conducted jointly with the Bulgarian Air Force to ensure that both air forces remain up to date with training and interoperability. The Italian Air Force’s Eurofighters took off alongside the Bulgarian Air Force’s MiG-29s to standardise procedures between the two NATO countries and improve the flexibility of the Alliance’s assets by enhancing the capabilities of the flight crews. The two Air Forces will train jointly for the duration of the 4th Wing’s TFA redeployment, which will continue until 15 October. The Enhanced Air Policing mission aims to safeguard the integrity of allied airspace. The Air Policing arrangement established by NATO ensures equal protection for all its member states. Cooperation in this field also allows for the pooling and sharing of existing air assets, which helps to avoid additional defence expenditure on capabilities already possessed by allied nations. The Italian Air Force is taking part in the Enhanced Air Policing operation in Bulgaria, bolstering the Bulgarian Air Force’s capabilities in protecting allied airspace with four Eurofighter aircraft. Air Policing is a capability that NATO has maintained since the mid-1950s and consists of integrating the respective and similar national systems made available by member countries into a single NATO air and missile defence system. Air Policing is carried out even in peacetime and involves the continuous surveillance and identification of all breaches of NATO airspace integrity, which are addressed by taking appropriate action to counter them, such as the rapid take-off of fighter-interceptor aircraft, known as a ‘scramble’. Air Policing is carried out within the area of responsibility of NATO’s Allied Command Operations (ACO), based in Brussels, and is coordinated by Headquarters Allied Air Command in Ramstein (GER)
