site.btaBulgaria Expects Second F-16 Block 70 Fighter to Arrive Sunday

The second F-16 Block 70 multirole fighter jet of the Bulgarian Air Force is expected to land in Bulgaria on Sunday, the Defence Ministry told BTA.

The first F-16 fighter landed at Graf Ignatievo Air Base near Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria) on April 2 after leaving the Lockheed Martin plants on March 31. It is a two-seat trainer-and-combat plane.

On June 1, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said the aircraft had been declared fully operational, having completed both technical and flight acceptance procedures, with only documentation processes remaining.

The fighters are part of an initial batch of eight F-16 Block 70 jets whose delivery will be completed by the end of 2025. Another eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets will arrive by the end of 2027 to add up to a full squadron.