site.btaF-16 Trainer Complex Gets under Construction at Graf Ignatievo Airfield

The construction site at Graf Ignatievo Airfield near Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria) was opened Tuesday, effectively starting the building of a F-16 Block 70 trainer complex, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry said in a press release.

The Bulgarian side will receive the equipment for the simulator under an international contract (BU-D-SAB) signed with the US Government in 2019. The building will house the main F-16 simulator - the Full Mission Trainer, which is a full-scale cockpit of an F-16 Block 70 aircraft surrounded by a 360-degree dome projecting the pilot's environment. Various types of tasks can be practiced with the simulator. 

All Bulgarian pilots who will fly the F-16 Block 70 will train at the facility. It is of particular importance for the training and continuous improvement of the skills of the aircrew.

According to the signed contract, the facility should be completed in the third quarter of 2025.