Lockheed Martin has completed production of all F-16 Block 70 aircraft for Bulgaria and Slovakia’s initial fleets, equipping both air forces with advanced F-16s ready for NATO and allied operations, the representative of the manufacturer for Bulgaria announced on Tuesday.
The aircraft were produced at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, and completed DD250 final acceptance through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales programme, the announcement added.
The F-16 Block 70 fleets now produced, provide Bulgaria and Slovakia with the possibility to secure their national air defense, as well as support NATO air patrol missions with a modern, fully NATO-compatible fighter jet. The fighters connect directly to Alliance systems and perform the same missions already carried out by F-16 operators across Europe, the statement said.
The deliveries are key to both countries’ defense modernization plans, as well as to the harmonization of their air forces with the training, standards, and operational practices used by 29 allied countries. The systems support the full range of air policing, air defence and joint exercise missions flown by F-16 operators across Europe, the statement said.
The F-16 Block 70 features the APG 83 AESA radar, which shares 95% software commonality and 70% hardware commonality with the F-35 radar, Lockheed Martin said. The aircraft also includes conformal fuel tanks, a modern digital cockpit, a 12,000 hour service life and the life saving Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
On October 18, two additional Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 fighter jets landed at the Third Air Base in Graf Ignatievo, the Defence Ministry announced. Delivery is proceeding according to the agreement with the US Government. The first four jets have been received, the next two have arrived, and the final two are scheduled for delivery by the end of the year, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said at the time. He added that as 2026 approaches, Bulgaria will have fully completed the contract with the United States, allowing for the technological commissioning and test flights of the newly delivered jets. By the end of 2025, in fulfillment of the 2019 contract, Bulgaria has to have received a total of eight aircraft.