Lockheed Martin to Commence Manufacture of Eight F-16 Jets for Bulgaria

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $512,004,418 firm-fixed-price contract for F-16 Block 70 production for the Republic of Bulgaria.

This contract value includes $4,185,516 of pre-priced options. This contract provides for the production of eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft, a US DoD release said.

 Work will be completed in Ft. Worth, Texas; and Greenville, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2027.

This contract award is 100% funded via foreign military sales (FMS) to the Republic of Bulgaria and is the result of a Bulgarian country-conducted competition.

The purchase is part  of a $1.67 Billion deal for eight weaponized F-16s that the Bulgarian government okayed in 2019.

 Bulgaria is replacing its Soviet-era  jets  with modern fighter jets. The Block 70 is the latest version of the F-16 having advanced features  such as an AESA radar, air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons besides data networking features.