The first two F-16 fighters will be delivered to us by the USA this year, said the Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov.
According to this contract, we pay only what we have received, Atanas Zapryanov pointed out. If a trainer arrives, we check it, test it, income and expense documents are signed and the amount is paid from our account with our permission. The bank account disclosed at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is under the control of the Department of Defense, the minister said.
The Defense Committee at its meeting yesterday approved the Bill for the Ratification of the International Agreement for Amendment and Addendum No. 2 to the International Agreement (LOA) BU-D-SAB “F-16 Block 70 Aircraft and Related Support“, submitted from the Council of Ministers, broadcasts BTA.
He specified that the machines will remain across the Ocean and will be used for pilot training. Another plane will be produced, which, together with the other two, will come to our country by the end of the first quarter of 2025, Zapryanov added.
After that, three more planes will arrive in the second quarter of next year, and the last two – until the end of 2025, the minister specified. He summarized that the entire package of eight aircraft will arrive by the end of next year.