Bulgaria has officially received its first F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin during a handover ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina.
This is part of the Balkan country’s $1.7-billion order in 2019 for eight F-16 Vipers along with training 14 pilots.
A similar order followed in 2022, covering the delivery of an additional eight aircraft and training 18 pilots — bringing the combined total to 16 Fighting Falcons to support the Bulgarian Air Force’s modernization efforts.
“The F-16 Block 70 aircraft is a completely new, fourth-generation aircraft, with enormous capabilities. This is a multi-role fighter, unlike the Bulgarian MiG-29 and Su-25, which we have in service,” shared Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov.
Additionally, the country’s Third Air Base is undergoing renovation under a one-year contract throughout 2025 to build 16 fighter aircraft shelters, along with two additional mobile hangars and related facilities based on Lockheed Martin’s requirements.
The fighter jet “will help the Bulgarian Air Force stay ahead of threats in the region and play a key role in the allied peacekeeping mission in Europe and around the world,” said VP of Lockheed’s Integrated Fighter Group, Mike Shoemaker.
“The F-16 has proven its air dominance time and again, and the Block 70 version will give the Bulgarian Air Force a highly capable, combat-proven aircraft.”
F-16 Orders
All eight multi-role jets from the 2019 contract are scheduled for delivery to Bulgaria this year.
Two Fighting Falcons are anticipated to land in the country around late March to early April, with five pilots to be trained.
“The training program is part of the contract and is important for us. We are not only buying aircraft, simulators, weapons and ammunition. We have also included the training of the flight crew for over 150 million dollars,” said Zapryanov.
The third aircraft will stay at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville production base in the US to train Bulgaria’s engineering and technical staff, while the remaining five are on the assembly line.
Meanwhile, work on the 2022 contract will begin implementation by 2027, with preparations going according to schedule.
