Bulgarian Navy Launches International Diving Exercise Triton with Allies

The Bulgarian Navy has launched the fourth annual diving exercise, codenamed Triton 2024, in the area of the Varna naval base and the Bulgarian territorial sea, the Navy Headquarters said in a press release on Tuesday.

The exercise involves naval personnel from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, the United States and France, who specialise in the destruction and safe disposal of ammunition underwater.

The exercise aims to enable participants to practice the procedures for planning, conducting, reporting and analysing tactical-level naval exercises and to create a dynamic training environment for practising various underwater procedures and techniques in the NATO format.

During Triton 2024, conditions will be created for the application of standard tactics and techniques for search lighting the underwater environment, mine countermeasures and underwater diving tasks.

Participants will focus on improving the level of interoperability and tactical training of personnel to conduct diving and mine countermeasures operations in a coalition format. 

In the sea, they will practice detection, classification and safe disposal of unexploded ordnance, floating and bottom mines.

"The relevance of such joint exercises and training activities of this nature is due to a radical change in the maritime security situation in the Black Sea region," the Navy said in a statement. "The unpredictability of the threat posed by floating mines makes mine countermeasures a daily routine for allied navies."

"Only through enhanced cooperation and partnership can the challenges be effectively addressed and the security and stability of Allies be guaranteed," the Bulgarian Navy added.