250 U.S. troops begin 40-day joint drill in Bulgaria

Some 250 heavily armed U.S. troops on Monday began a military drill along with Bulgarian units which will last more than 40 days, officials said.

The exercise will continue until May 16 at Novo Selo Training Area, one of the four joint U.S.-Bulgarian military bases in the Balkan country, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Tanks M1 Abrams and infantry fighting vehicles will be used during the drill.

By conducting such pre-planned joint exercises, the Bulgarian Army aims to maintain good combat readiness and achieve greater interoperability with NATO allies, the Defense Ministry said.

In 2015, military units of the Bulgarian army participated in 82 joint trainings and drills with the U.S. Army, the ministry said.

Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States in 2006. Endit