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NATO Emergency Management Exercise “BULGARIA 2025”

The 20^th NATO Emergency Management will take place in Bulgaria from 7 to 12 September 2025. It is organised jointly by the EADRCC and the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, and will take place in the state-of-the art International Training Centre for first responders in Montana (some 150km from Bulgaria’s capital Sofia).

This complex exercise will focus on enhancing resilience, improving disaster preparedness, and fostering civil-military cooperation in emergency response. It will bring together participants from NATO Allies, partner nations, and international organizations, to enhance their ability to respond effectively to a large-scale, complex emergency.

14-17 JAN 2025 Main Planning Conference

At this conference:
- The host nation (Bulgaria) and EADRCC introduce themselves and the exercise, which will have a complex scenario triggered by an earthquake 140km NE of Sofia
- The exercise objectives are laid out
- We explain what nations can expect from the scenario (search and rescue operations, CBRN, disinformation, night-time ops)
- Participants (nations, international organisations) express their specific objectives for the exercise, which we include in the scenario
- Participants are asked to indicate (potential) participation in the Exercise. E.g. Urban Search and Rescue Team, Directing Staff, Observers, Evaluators, CBRN detection

Participants also visit some of the exercise sites, to get an idea of the training possibilities for their team(s)

Calendar for the Exercise

Final Planning Conference (Sofia, Bulgaria): 20-22 May 2025.
At this conference:
- We fine-tune and present the exercise objectives.
- Last chance for the participants to consider, inform and update their intended participation.
- Introduction of the exercise instructions: this document contains all the modalities and governance to participate in the exercise.

Exercise Instructions are released (electronically, in June/July):
- Participants are requested to commit their teams, experts, observers, … to the exercise.

The Exercise (Montana, Bulgaria): 7-12 September 2025 :
- Teams are requested to be as self-sufficient as they can (afford), and camp in the Base of Operations.
- Directing Staff, Evaluators and observers are hosted in hotels in the vicinity of the Base of Operations.
- The exercise is conducted. Teams have to work together to reach maximum efficiency and can learn from one another.

ORGANISATION

EADRCC exercises have five phases: inception, concept, planning, execution and evaluation. The latter three phases cover approximately one calendar year.

Exercise BULGARIA 2025 is in the planning phase. A Core Planning Team leads the planning, scenario development, conduct and evaluation of the exercise. It consists of 45 experts from 14 countries brought together by NATO and the host nation.

The Core Planning Team is currently working to align the requirements of the host nation and participants, and develop the scenario.

Two planning conferences are organised for the prospective participants:

14-17 January 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria
20-22 May 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria

The exercise conduct (including field operations) is schedule for 7-12 September 2025.

All aspects of the exercise will be evaluated and discussed in a post-exercise Lessons Identified Conference, in early 2026.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS

The costs of organising the exercise shared by NATO and the Host Nation. Participating nations and organisations cover their own costs related to the exercise. NATO funds may be available to support the participation of teams from eligible partner nations.

You can find the Exercise Planning Chart using the following link.

Virtual Tour Along Exercise Sites

This map shows the locations in the area of the 2025 EADRCC field exercise.

Follow this link.

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