First F-16 purchased from the US arrived in Bulgaria with a ceremony
Bulgarian Prime Minister Jelyazkov stated that the first F-16 to arrive symbolizes the “ideological change and modernization of the army”.
The first of 16 F-16 fighter jets from the “Block 70” series ordered by Bulgaria from the US was welcomed with a ceremony. A ceremony was held at the Graf Ignatievo NATO Air Base in the southeast of the country for the delivery of the first F-16 purchased from the US. Prime Minister Rosen Jelyazkov, in his speech, said, “The arrival of the first modern fighter jet symbolizes the ideological change and modernization of our army”.
NEW FLEET TO REPLACE RUSSIAN MiG-29s Jelyazkov stated that the real modernization efforts of the Bulgarian Armed Forces were initiated in 2019. Regarding the decision to replace the old Russian-made “MiG-29” fighter jets currently in use with the new fleet, Jelyazkov mentioned that the decision was made after a debate in Parliament. He said, “The efforts made in Parliament were not in vain. Bulgaria, while deciding in favor of NATO and the European Union (EU) membership, made a civilized choice in favor of democratic values, the rule of law, and the defense of human rights”.
“ALSO A SYMBOL OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US”
Emphasizing that the “Block 70” series F-16 fighter jets are also a symbol of Bulgaria’s strategic partnership with the US, Jelyazkov stated that this partnership provides guarantees for security in the eastern wing of NATO and the Black Sea region. Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov also mentioned, “The arrival of the F-16 is considered the beginning of the process of technological rearmament of the Air Force”. Zapryanov noted that new “Stryker” armored vehicles have started to arrive for the Land Forces, and the second patrol ship for the Navy has been launched. Zapryanov stated, “As the defense minister, I will do my best to ensure that the contracts for other advanced systems and platforms vital for our defense and that of our allies in 2025 are also remembered”.
16 NEW F-16s ACQUIRED FOR 3 BILLION EUROS The ceremony was attended by Bulgarian Chief of Defense General Eftim Eftimov, representatives of F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, and other officials. As part of the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, in addition to the 16 new F-16s purchased from the US for approximately 3 billion euros, the approval of the Parliament was also obtained for the acquisition of 198 “Stryker” military armored vehicles for 1.1 billion euros and $100 million worth of “Javelin” anti-tank missile systems.
