Milkovitsa Airfield

The closure was a direct result of military restructuring and economic constraints following the end of the Cold War. The Bulgarian Air Force underwent a significant downsizing, which included the closure of numerous air bases and the retirement of entire aircraft fleets. The Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bombers based at Milkovitsa were withdrawn from service due to their high operational costs and increasing obsolescence, leading to the base's decommissioning.

The site is no longer an active airfield and cannot be used for aviation. The main runway, taxiways, and large portions of the apron have been repurposed and are now covered by a large-scale photovoltaic (solar) power plant. While the original layout of the airfield is still visible from satellite imagery, the operational surfaces are permanently obstructed. Many of the original military structures, including hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) and support buildings, remain on site in a derelict and abandoned condition.

Milkovitsa Airfield was a strategically important military air base for the Bulgarian Air Force, particularly during the Cold War. Constructed in the early 1950s, it served as a forward operating base for fighter-bomber aviation. Its most notable role was as the home of the 2nd Fighter-Bomber Air Squadron (part of the 1st Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment), which flew Sukhoi Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K aircraft. Prior to the introduction of the Su-22, the base operated MiG-17 fighters. Its location in north-central Bulgaria made it a key asset within the Warsaw Pact's military structure, tasked with air-to-ground strike missions.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Milkovitsa as an airfield. The extensive and permanent installation of the solar park on the runway and other critical aviation infrastructure makes its conversion back to an airport financially and logistically unfeasible. The site's future is firmly in renewable energy generation, not aviation.