Bulgaria holds official ceremony for completion of delivery of first eight F-16s
Bulgarian government ministers and representatives of the US as well as of F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin attended an official ceremony on December 18 at Graf Ignatievo air base for the completion of deliveries of the fighter jets under the 2019 initial contract.
“With this new aircraft, an entirely new defence system is acquired, requiring a new approach and way of thinking in its operation,” Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, one of several members of the outgoing government in attendance, told the ceremony.
“This is also an expression of our desire to ensure the inviolability of the airspace of the Republic of Bulgaria, its territory and waters,” Zapryanov said.
He said the F-16 Block 70 is equipped with advanced surveillance, communication and armament systems, and its integrated avionics provide superior situational awareness, fast and effective responses.
“Its operational compatibility with similar combat systems in Nato guarantees effective cooperation with our allies within the framework of collective operations and significantly increases our combat capabilities,” Zapryanov said.
Within the first stage of the project for the acquisition of a new combat aircraft, six single-seat and two two-seat F-16 Block 70 aircraft have been delivered. Aircraft of both types have already been accepted for service and put into operation, the Defence Ministry said.
The process of their mastering continues, the ministry said.
Within the framework of the contract, the necessary training is being carried out, weapons, ground support equipment and spare parts have been delivered, it said.
With the conclusion of the contract in 2019, financial resources were allocated for the necessary infrastructure for the operation and storage of the new aircraft. Work on its completion is currently ongoing.
This includes 49 different projects, more than half of which have been completed, the rest are being built at an accelerated pace. The projects on which the acceptance of the aircraft and the simulator depended were implemented as a priority, the Defence Ministry said.
The first of the F-16s that Bulgaria is acquiring arrived in the country on April 2 2025, the second on June 8 and two new F-16 fighter jets arrived in Bulgaria on October 3. This was followed by two more on October 18 and the final two under the first contract on December 16.
Under a second contract, the Bulgarian Air Force is to receive a further eight F-16 fighter jets. Current plans are for the delivery of this further eight, to constitute a second squadron, to happen by the end of 2027.
(Photos: Ministry of Defence)
