Lockheed Martin has completed the production of all F-16 Block 70 fighters ordered by Bulgaria and Slovakia. This was announced by the American company, quoted by BGNES.
The aircraft were manufactured at the plant in Greenville, South Carolina.
"This ends the production phase of two long-term acquisition programs aimed at replacing the obsolete Soviet-era MiG-29s and bringing the air force into line with NATO standards. This comes at a time when the war in Ukraine continues to put pressure on NATO's eastern flank and when protecting the airspace over Central and Southeastern Europe remains a critical political and military priority," the company noted.
In two consecutive contracts signed in 2019 and 2022, Bulgaria has an order for a total of 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft, some of which have already been delivered. However, the delivery was delayed due to restrictions related to the pandemic.
Lockheed Martin points out that from an operational perspective, these systems allow Bulgaria and Slovakia to have multi-role fighters capable of performing air policing, defensive air defense and precision strike missions, using a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions that meet NATO standards, while integrating into the same data and training ecosystem as other European F-16 operators.
The Bulgarian fighters will operate alongside Greek, Romanian and Turkish assets to secure NATO’s southeastern airspace.
The industrial and political dimensions of the program are equally significant. Lockheed Martin’s Greenville plant is currently the only active F-16 production line in the world.
The American fighters are currently being integrated into the national air bases and the infrastructure is being adapted.