It happens that some device does not work or does not show accurately because the F-16 has been flying over the ocean for a long time and refueling in the air. The problem is actually that information about the plane has leaked, and at a high level, and this is unacceptable for a NATO country.
This was said in an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio by Colonel Willis Tsurov, who held positions in the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army, the Ministry of Defense, NATO and the Military Committee of the European Union.
"The media found out about the problem. Apparently there was a leak of information and it turned out that the media were the first to find out, and then the Minister of Defense explained the problem. Any information from NATO leaking to the media is not normal. In principle, the plane falls into a protected area and any information about it must be selected", commented Retired Colonel Tsurov.
According to him, this is information for official use, and it is being released to the media:
"This is a problem for the armed forces, because the F-16 aircraft has already been purchased and is also becoming a problem for the Ministry of Defense. The people who are most familiar with the new F-16 are the people who receive the aircraft and report. The information has leaked along the chain, and at a high level. It is known that in 2019 there was a conflict between the president and the leader of GERB whether it should be an F-16 or a "Gripen".
Willis Tsurov explained that the defect of the F-16 was the reason why it did not fly over Sofia at the military parade on May 6.
"The hardware in the cars is also duplicated, there are levels of protection and it should work without this board. But in this case, in order to make a decision, excessive caution is not superfluous. That is why the Air Force does not give a deadline for when it will fly", says the former military man.
The product with the defect was sent to the USA to see the problem and will be returned with an explanation, and "this will take 2-3 weeks", warned Lt. Col. Tsurov.
"When there is a defect, second tests must be done. In aviation, the manufacturer – "Lockheed Martin is analyzing the causes of each problem. And the product will probably arrive with an explanation of what the cause was. The second plane will be more thoroughly inspected and will arrive later. All eight planes from the first tranche should arrive by the end of the year," he said.