65th Anniversary of the 24th Air Base – Krumovo and 20 Years of AS 532 AL Cougar Helicopters in Bulgarian Air Force Service

On 27 October 2026, the 24th Air Base – Krumovo held a formal ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of its establishment. A special highlight of the celebration was also the 20th anniversary of the entry into service of the AS 532 AL Cougar helicopters with the Bulgarian Air Force – an event that marked the beginning of a new stage in the modernisation and development of Bulgaria’s military helicopter aviation capabilities.

The military airfield brought together generations of service personnel and veterans. Among the official guests were Colonel Lyudmil Valkov, Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Air Force, representatives of local government and commanders of military formations of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.

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Colonel Lyudmil Valkov conveyed the Bulgarian Air Force Command’s greetings to the personnel and expressed his profound respect for their professionalism. The Chief of Staff stated that, over the past decades, the 24th Air Base had established itself as a leading and indispensable aviation formation. He thanked the service personnel for their dedication during real-life, high-risk rescue missions involving firefighting and the evacuation of people in distress, and urged them to continue upholding the unit’s proud traditions.

In his address, the Air Base Commander, Brigadier General Dimitar Pavlov, highlighted the growing responsibilities placed on the personnel in carrying out the missions of the Armed Forces. He emphasised the importance of sustained efforts towards technological modernisation and the enhancement of the base’s operational capabilities. He also expressed his deep gratitude to the veterans and young aviation specialists, whom he described as “the greatest asset, the soul and the heart of the formation”.

On the occasion of the anniversary, distinguished service personnel were presented with awards, by order of the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence and the Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, in recognition of their outstanding achievements and exemplary performance of their duties.

The ceremony continued with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the monument dedicated to fallen pilots and aviation specialists. The celebrations concluded with a static display of the helicopter types in service at the air base, along with emergency and rescue equipment used in search-and-rescue missions. This was followed by a dynamic display and a demonstration of the capabilities of the aviation crews.

Today's 24th Air Base is the successor to the traditions and legacy of the 44th Helicopter Aviation Regiment, established on 27 October 1961 at Plovdiv Airfield as Bulgaria's first helicopter aviation unit. Over the years, the formation underwent several major reorganisations. In 1980, it relocated to Krumovo Airfield, and in September 1994, the regiment and its supporting battalions were merged and restructured.

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