Official ceremony for Bulgarian Air Force’s first F-16
An official ceremony was held at the Graf Ignatievo air base on April 13 to present the Bulgarian Air Force’s first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet.
Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov, addressing the ceremony, said that the F-16 “becomes part of our air space, of the protection of our national sovereignty, part of the combat capability of Nato’s eastern flank, but beyond this material dimension, this day symbolizes something more – it is an ideological change.
“This is a change that began in 2019, when, after political debates that were not easy, after a number of votes, the then majority allowed the contract to become a fact,” Zhelyazkov said.
He paid tribute to those parliamentary groups that at the time had voted in favour of the acquisition – GERB, VMRO and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
“This wonderful combat aircraft is a symbol of the strategic partnership we have with the US, which is not only in the field of defence,” he said.
“It creates guarantees for our national security, for increasing the capacity of our armed forces. This strategic partnership finds expression in the opportunity to have all the aircraft from the first contract this year. And in 2027 with the next eight fighters,” Zhelyakov said.
The hour-long ceremony also was addressed by Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Nato and European Affairs David Baker, US embassy chargé d’affaires Susan Falatko and Michael Shoemaker, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group.
Invited guests included Krassimir Karakachanov, who was defence minister at the time of the decision to acquire the F-16, and Vladislav Goranov, finance minister at the time and who in February 2023 was sanctioned by the US under the Magnitsky Act.
Not present were head of state and armed forces commander-in-chief President Roumen Radev and National Assembly Speaker Natalia Kiselova.
The F-16 is the first fighter aircraft to be acquired by Bulgaria in more than 35 years and the first to be US-manufactured.
Earlier, Bulgarian National Radio reported Zapryanov as saying that the F-16 will be the main combat platform for the next 30 to 40 years.
The first F-16, made to order for Bulgaria. arrived on April 2 and since then has had its livery changed to that of the Bulgarian Air Force.
The construction of the flight simulator facility at the air base has been delayed, which Zapryanov said was a disappointment because this meant a delay in the training of the pilots.
Key security facilities at the air base are ready and have been certified. The new runway has been in operation since summer 2024.
Currently, 18 Bulgarian Air Force pilots are being trained in the US. Two have completed the basic course.
A single-seat F-16 remains in the US, being used to train Bulgarian engineering and technical personnel.
According to Zapryanov, the second F-16 will arrive in Bulgaria on April 28. The remainder of those acquired under the first contract will arrive in stages by the end of 2025, and the further eight are expected by the end of 2027.
(Photo: government.bg)
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