At Rakovski National Defence College has started an intensive 7-day course “TOPFAS Functional Manager”, in which officers and technical experts from Bulgarian Armed Forces participate. The training is dedicated to TOPFAS (Tools for Operations Planning Functional Area Services) – NATO’s primary tool for operational planning and the management of joint operations.

TOPFAS is an integral part of NATO’s modern operational planning process. It ensures interoperability among allied headquarters, standardization of data, and acceleration of decision-making processes. The preparation of Functional Managers – specialists who manage and maintain the system’s functionality – is essential for effectiveness and combat capability of armed forces.

In his welcoming remarks at the opening, Colonel Anton Bankov, PhD, Deputy Commandant for Administration and Logistics, emphasized the importance of conducting the training.

The course provides:

• knowledge of the architecture, capabilities and role of TOPFAS in operational planning;
• practical skills for administering and optimizing the system;
• competencies to ensure full operational readiness of the headquarters using TOPFAS.

By training new Functional Managers, investment is made in expertise that ensures the Bulgarian Armed Forces can operate in equal footing with other NATO armies, applying unified procedures and modern information systems.

The course is part of Bulgaria’s efforts to build highly qualified personnel capable of applying the latest standards and technologies in defence.