Bulgarian Air Force’s first F-16 arrives at Graf Ignatievo air base
The Bulgarian Air Force’s first F-16 Block 70 multi-role fighter jet arrived at Graf Ignatievo air base near the city of Plovdiv on April 2, the Defence Ministry said in a post on its Facebook page.
The aircraft is a completely new, fourth-generation aircraft, with enormous capabilities, the ministry said.
“The multi-role fighter is compatible with Nato systems and performs a wide range of tasks,” it said.
The Defence Ministry said that the fighter jet has advantages such as a modern radar system, providing greater situational awareness, flexibility and faster targeting in all weather conditions; an automatic ground collision avoidance system, ensuring the safety of the pilot; an advanced display in the cockpit, which together with the on-board computer provides detailed information in real time, so that the pilot can take full advantage of the fighter’s wide-ranging sensors, and others.
The aircraft was welcomed on site by Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov, Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov and other officials.
In late January, Zapryanov said that the first F-16s would arrive in Bulgaria in early April, and a few days ago he said that this should happen on April 2.
“The mere arrival of the plane does not immediately make it Bulgarian. There is a procedure that requires time. It is necessary to complete its documentary transfer. The official ceremony is planned for April 12,” Zapryanov said.
By the end of 2025, Bulgaria will receive all eight F-16s that Lockheed Martin is producing under the first contract signed by the governments of Bulgaria and the United States in 2019.
The second contract, signed in 2022 for the acquisition of a further eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft, is scheduled to be implemented by the end of 2027.
(Photos via Zhelyazkov’s page on X)
Please support The Sofia Globe’s independent journalism by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:
