From January 12 to 14 (Tuesday), the first military convoys will move along the republican road infrastructure to participate in the NATO exercise Steadfast Dart 2025 (STDT25) on the territory of Romania, the press center of the Ministry of Defense announced. The military convoys are from the Italian Armed Forces and will be guarded and escorted by teams of the "Military Police". The exact routes for the movement of the military convoys will be determined depending on the current road situation in coordination with the General Directorate "National Police" and the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency.
On Wednesday, the Council of Ministers adopted a decision authorizing the passage and residence on the territory of Bulgaria of allied armed forces, in connection with their participation in the NATO exercise STEADFAST DART 2025 (STDT25).
Steadfast Dart 2025 (STDT25) is NATO's largest exercise for 2025 with the actual deployment of Allied Reaction Force (ARF) formations, which will be held on the territories of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania in the first quarter of 2025, the Ministry of Defense specified. It involves about 10,000 military personnel from nine Allied countries - Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
As part of the exercise from February 3 to 28, elements of the Allied Response Force (ARF) from the Spanish Armed Forces, the NATO Rapid Deployment Corps in Italy (NRDC-ITA), staff officers from the NATO Joint Force Command Naples (JFCNP), etc. will be deployed on the territory of Bulgaria. In total, up to 460 military personnel with their personal weapons and ammunition, up to 95 combat and transport vehicles, up to two NH90 helicopters, up to two A400 AIRBUS transport aircraft and up to six AV-8 HARRIER aircraft will be present in our country.
On the Bulgarian side, forces and assets from the Ministry of Defense, structures directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense and the Bulgarian Army will participate in the STDT 25 exercise.