A system for augmented virtual reality will be opened at the Higher Air Force School (VVVU) "Georgi Benkovski" by the Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov, the Deputy Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Tsanko Stoykov and the Chief of the Military University Brigadier General Julian Radojski on November 14. They will and will take part in a ceremony for the acceptance of two new "CABRI" helicopters, in which the Chief of Staff Dimitar Glavchev has been invited to participate, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced.
The virtual reality system was delivered to VVVU in implementation of the project to create a center for the training of flight and engineering-technical personnel for the F-16 Block 70 aircraft from the Industrial Cooperation Program with the manufacturer company Lockheed Martin. It enables real-scale aircraft learning and interactive data visualization of complex aviation systems at every stage of cadet training. The use of virtual reality is expected to help learners understand the features and behavior of different systems and increase the effectiveness of their learning.
VVVU "Georgi Benkovski" acquires two new "Cabri G2" training helicopters manufactured by Guimbal - France. For this purpose, funds were allocated in 2023 by a decree of the Council of Ministers, after which a public procurement was held. The helicopters have a very good safety record and fully meet the requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency. They are used for training all over the world. They will enable the helicopter pilot cadets to begin their initial flight training at the George Benkovski Air Force Base, learning skills and tactics critical to the successful performance of their future missions.
We remind you that after three accidents at air bases in three years, the Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov highlighted a number of problems at a briefing where the results of the inspection of the organization of flight training in the Air Force and the "Georgi Benkovski" Higher Air Force School were presented. . An "unsatisfactory condition" of the Air Force and a chronic shortage of serviceable aircraft for all aviation platforms - the MiG-29 fighters, the Su-25 attack aircraft, the L-39 combat training aircraft, even for our "Spartan" transport aircraft. The same applies to the "Cougar" helicopters. and especially for the Mi-17 helicopters.
The report also found a problem with discipline and with the execution of tasks by the commanders, or as it was presented - "insufficient command organization", including safety measures. Zapryanov urged military pilots, especially young ones, not to risk their lives in peacetime. The available number of aircraft and helicopters for operational use are not sufficient to support the flight of pilots to perform all the tasks and exercises of combat training.
The report also states that some of our regulatory documents for reporting and conducting flight activities are outdated. There is also a lack of clear operational connectivity between the military command and higher education - specifically the three military academies, which will become an even bigger problem as new platforms begin to arrive. "The military school is not subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, which is a mistake since 2003,", pointed out Zapryanov and pointed out that the training of new cadets is not tied to institutional control.