A Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted and escorted an Airbus A320 passenger plane as it flew over our country. The reason - the crew of the plane transmitted a special code (7500) on its transponder, indicating "illegal interference on board". This was announced by the Ministry of Defense, quoted by Nova TV.
The passenger plane entered our airspace at 1:57 p.m. from the border area along the Danube River, where it was immediately intercepted by our fighter jet, which took off from the Third Air Base minutes earlier. The operation itself was launched within the framework of the "Air Policing" mission on airspace protection, following information provided by the NATO Joint Air Operations Center in Torrejón.
The fighter jet on duty successfully performed the “Air Policing“ task by immediately detecting and intercepting the aircraft. The Bulgarian pilot performed the tasks of reconnaissance, interrogation and escort by accompanying the aircraft through Bulgarian airspace.
The actions were carried out in close coordination with the allied Turkish Air Force, which also brought two F-16 fighter jets into the air to take over the escort after the aircraft crossed our common border. At 14:14 the aircraft left Bulgarian airspace.
The successfully completed task is proof of the high readiness, professionalism and rapid response of the Bulgarian Air Force on duty, as well as the effective interaction with allies within the framework of the NATO integrated air and missile defense system, the military department also wrote.