site.btaDefence Minister: If Delivery of F-16 Aircraft Is Delayed, US Could Fill In Bulgarian Air-policing

Speaking before the parliamentary Defence Committee on Tuesday, outgoing Defence Minister Dragomir Zakov said that Bulgaria is in a very advanced stage of talks with the United States "in respect of acquiring by the Bulgarian Air Force of aircraft" which could possibly fill in a probable gap arising in an impossibility to service and extend the use of the MiG-29 jet fighters beyond the expiry of the current life of their engines, and the arrival of the first F-16 in 2025.