Bulgaria received the first F-16 Block 70 aircraft at the Lockheed Martin production facility in Greenville, USA. With this act the country’s strategic partnership with the US in the sphere of defence continues its upward development, said PM Rosen Zhelyazkov, as quoted in a post on Facebook by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers. With the acquisition of the fighter jets, the Bulgarian Air Force will build new capabilities allowing it to achieve complete interoperability with our NATO and EU allies, he said further.

Under two contracts signed with Lockheed Martin in 2019 and 2022, Bulgaria will receive 16 fighter aircraft. The first two are expected to be delivered in Bulgaria in April this year, and the other six F-16 Block 70 aircraft – by the end of 2025. The remaining 8 aircraft are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027.

Under the two agreements concluded, 32 Bulgarian pilots will be trained in the US. The training has already begun of the engineering and technical personnel - more than 100 experts are to undergo training.