On October 22 last year, the first F-16C Block 70 intended for Bulgaria successfully completed its maiden flight. Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin presented another aircraft to Bulgarian officials—a two-seat F-16D Block 70, painted in light gray with Bulgarian Air Force insignia.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense released photos of a delegation, including the defense minister and senior Air Force officials, visiting the Lockheed Martin facility in Greenville. The images also featured another nearly completed single-seat aircraft bearing Bulgarian Air Force markings. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria shared images of a single-seat F-16 Block 70, stating that it would “soon take to the skies over Bulgaria.” This particular aircraft was the same one that made its first flight in October 2024.
Lockheed Martin announced the start of production for eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Bulgarian Air Force in January last year. At this point, at least three of them appear to have been completed. The official handover of the first aircraft comes as Washington and Sofia work to replace Bulgaria’s aging fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29s. The total order includes 16 new jets, making Bulgaria the second European country after Slovakia to receive the F-16 Block 70.
Bulgaria has procured the fighter jets through two separate agreements, each covering the delivery of eight aircraft. The first contract, valued at $512 million, includes six single-seat and two twin-seat jets. The second contract, worth $1.3 billion, has an unspecified composition but also includes additional spare parts and weaponry.
In its statement, Lockheed Martin noted that it has a backlog of 117 aircraft to be produced in Greenville for international partners, with 23 already delivered. Other customers for this version of the fighter jet include Bahrain, Greece, and Taiwan.
According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense, the first two aircraft, an F-16C and an F-16D, will arrive in Bulgaria between late March and early April 2025. Later in the year, six more aircraft—five F-16Cs and one F-16D—will be delivered, completing the first contract. Deliveries under the second contract are expected to begin after 2026. Meanwhile, pilot and ground crew training continues in the United States.
Additionally, under the initial agreement, Bulgaria received two F-16A Block 15 aircraft, which will be used for training and familiarization. These aircraft will be stationed at the National Aviation Training Center of the Bulgarian Air Force Academy for ground training.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense added that the F-16 Block 70 is “an entirely new fourth-generation aircraft” that will ensure “full operational interoperability with NATO and EU allies.”
“F-16 will help the Bulgarian Air Force stay ahead of regional threats and play a key role in the Alliance’s peacekeeping mission in Europe and around the world,” said Mike Shoemaker, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group. “The F-16 has repeatedly proven its air dominance, and the Block 70 version will provide the Bulgarian Air Force with a high-performance, battle-tested aircraft.”
Source: theaviationist
