The first of 16 Bulgarian Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft ahead of being handed over to the country's Ministry of Defence on 31 January. (Bulgarian Ministry of Defence)
Bulgaria has received its first Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft during a ceremony at the manufacturer's Greenville facility in South Carolina.
The event on 31 January saw the first of 16 aircraft formally handed over to Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and other national dignitaries, ahead of its transfer to Bulgaria in April. The milestone came three months after the single-seat F-16C Block 70 aircraft performed its maiden flight out of the same production facility, and 12 months after the build began in January 2024.
Bulgaria has eight F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft ordered under an initial contract, with a follow-on contract for eight more with deliveries to commence from 2027. These 16 aircraft will equip the Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) with a full squadron. Pilot and maintainer training has been taking place in the United States on two gifted Excess Defense Articles F-16Ds.
The F-16C/D Block 70 deal for Bulgaria is part of the wider 10-year road map for the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed with the US in October 2020, and builds on the earlier Defense Cooperation Agreement that the two countries signed in 2006.
As noted by Janes World Air Forces
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