New helicopters will take part in the parade for the first timeFor the third time in the modern history of Bulgaria the best military equipment and machines will march through Sofia to mark the St. George's Day, the Day of Military Valor and the Bulgarian Army.Seven hundred soldiers and over 70 types of army vehicles and aircraft will cross the Battenberg Square in the very heart of the Bulgarian capital. At 10 a.m. sharp a Mi-14 helicopter from Graf Ignatievo airbase will open the parade flying a huge national tricolor. This will be the last ceremony for the legendary helicopters. According to "Plan 2015" (a comprehensive modernization plan of theBulgarian Army), the Russian-made machines will be gradually replaced by new Cougars AS 532 AL. The first one will arrive in Bulgaria in August.Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Air Force, Major General Simeon Simeonov, will personally receive the Army Day parade. According to the latest information, tomorrow the citizens of Sofia will be able to see the antiaircraft and missile complexes, C-300 and C-125, which will safeguard the Bulgarian sky and the air borders of NATO. The Bulgarian peacekeepers, who took part in military missions across the world, will be the frontline of the parade. The banner platoon of the National Guards is a special attraction to the public. They will pass through the square flying the sacred Bulgarian colors and the banners of all units of the Bulgarian armed forces. The celebration of the Bulgarian Army Day is one of the oldest traditions in the calendar of national holidays. Before it was established, only the Liberation Day (March 3) and the Day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius (the Day of Slav Alphabet and the Bulgarian Culture) were the official red-letter days in Bulgaria.
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