The official ceremony for the presentation of the eight Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 fighters, which are in service with our Air Force, was held at the Third Air Base near the village of Graf Ignatievo, BNT reported.
A few days ago, the last two fighters from the first batch arrived in our country, and with them the Bulgarian Air Force already has 8 F-16 Block 70 aircraft.
The new F-16 Block 70 aircraft, which are entering service with the Bulgarian Air Force, were presented at the same place where the arrival of the first multi-role fighter was celebrated in April. In 8 months of this year, the contract between Bulgaria and the United States was fulfilled. Two of the aircraft remained in the hangar for the ceremony today. The remaining six are positioned in close proximity to the runway at the airbase. All of them bear the insignia and license plates of the Bulgarian Air Force.
All eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft under the first contract between Bulgaria and the United States are already at the base. This was stated by the outgoing Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov at an official ceremony at the Graf Ignatievo airbase, at which the fighters were presented. Among those present are the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth in retirement Tomislav Donchev, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications in retirement Grozdan Karadjov, the Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov, the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, the Commander of the Air Force Major General Nikolay Rusev, Martin McDowell - Acting Ambassador of the United States of America in Sofia, BTA specified.
This is an eloquent expression of the development, deepening of the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States. We are implementing several more important projects with the United States, and we are also looking forward to the delivery of the first “Stryker“ combat vehicles at the beginning of next year. Negotiations are also underway for the delivery of a coastal system to protect our maritime spaces, Zapryanov pointed out.
I think that 2025 is the year in which the Bulgarian Air Force (Air Force) will enter a new era, said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth in resignation Tomislav Donchev during the ceremony for the presentation of the first eight Bulgarian F-16 Block70 fighters at the Graf Ignatievo air base.
The Bulgarian Air Force, the Bulgarian pilots, deserve these aircraft. The only thing I regret is that they should have had them much earlier and without unnecessary pathos, Donchev added.
According to him, the new fighters represent a different logic of gaining superiority in the air, a completely different integration with all other structures of the Bulgarian Armed Forces - both the ground forces and the navy.
There is still a lot of work to be done, the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister said, adding that efforts must be made to fully utilize the new aircraft so that all their capabilities can be used.
Tomislav Donchev addressed the Bulgarian pilots and wished them to be extremely well prepared and never have to enter into an air battle.
The first contract for the production and supply of F-16 Block 70 fighters was signed between the governments of Bulgaria and the United States in 2019. After visiting the "Lockheed Martin" factory in South Carolina in early 2025, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that all eight aircraft under this contract are expected to be received by the end of the year. According to him, the second contract, signed in 2022 for the acquisition of eight more F-16 Block 70 aircraft, will be implemented until the end of 2027.
Bulgaria received the first F-16 Block 70 aircraft at the "Lockheed Martin" production facility in Greenville, USA, at the end of January this year.