The Novo Selo Training Area is a major Bulgarian military training facility established in 1962, presently used by other NATO nations as well. The range has a surface area of 144 km
2 (55.6 sq. mi), and is situated 45 km (28 mi) from
Bezmer Air Base
Bezmer Air Base is an air base for the Bulgarian Air Force. The base is situated in the eastern part of the Upper Thracian Lowland, in Yambol Oblast (Region), 10 km west of the city of Yambol and 30 km southeast of the city of Sliven, ...
, and 70 km (43.5 mi) from the port of
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a popu ...
in
Sliven Province
Sliven Province ( bg, Област Сливен, former name Sliven okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Sliven. It embraces a territory of [tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...]
shooting, and
nuclear, biological, and chemical defense and
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
training. The Novo Selo Training Area is highly appreciated by
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
experts and troops, and has become the favored site of annual joint US and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n troops exercises since 2004.
The Novo Selo Training Area is among the
joint US-Bulgarian military bases established according to the 2006 Defense Cooperation Agreement between the United States and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
. The US Army started in late 2008 a 61.15 m USD investment in the development of new housing and other infrastructure for the American troops training at Novo Selo Training Area.
US Military Chief to Land in Novo Selo
Standart News, Issue 786, 13 October 2008.
See also
Bulgarian-American Joint Military Facilities
Bulgarian Americans ( bg, Американски българи) are Americans of Bulgarian descent.
For the 2000 United States Census, 55,489 Americans indicated Bulgarian as their first ancestry, while 92,841 persons declared to have Bulgaria ...
References
* W. Alejandro Sanchez
Bulgaria, U.S. Bases and Black Sea Geopolitics
Power and Interest News Report, 29 August 2007.
*
L. Ivanov and P. Pantev eds.
''The Joint Bulgarian-American Military Facilities: Public opinion and strategic, political, economic, and environmental aspects''
NI Plus Publishing House, Sofia, 2006 (in Bulgarian)
* L. Ivanov ed.
''Bulgaria: Bezmer and adjacent regions — Guide for American military''
Multiprint Ltd., Sofia, 2007,
{{coord, 42, 43, 13, N, 26, 35, 31, E, region:BG, display=title
Military installations of Bulgaria
Military installations of the United States in Bulgaria