Bulgaria to Take Delivery of First F-16 Block 70 in U.S. Ceremony

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the first of 16 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets will be officially handed over to the country at a ceremony in the United States on January 31.

The event will take place at Lockheed Martin’s manufacturing facility in Greenville, South Carolina, with a high-level Bulgarian delegation attending.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov is leading the three-day visit, which begins on January 29. He will be accompanied by Deputy Defense Minister Adelina Nikolova, Deputy Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Krasimir Kanev, Air Force Commander Major General Dimitar Petrov, and Director of the Armaments Policy Directorate Colonel Vladislav Shekerov.

The official handover will also be attended by Bulgarian Ambassador to the United States H.E. Georgi Panayotov and Military Attaché Colonel Ivan Bogdanov. Representatives from the U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, Department of Defense, and Air Force, along with local South Carolina officials, will participate in the ceremony.

Bulgaria signed two contracts for the F-16 Block 70 fighters in 2019 and 2022, securing a total of 16 jets to modernize its Air Force. The first two aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Bulgaria in April 2025.

In a social media post, Lockheed Martin described the delivery as "Greenville-built, soon to be Bulgaria-bound" and highlighted the upgraded airpower the jets will bring.

During the visit, Lockheed Martin’s leadership will showcase the company's production capabilities to the Bulgarian delegation. Minister Zapryanov will also meet with Bulgarian Air Force personnel currently undergoing training in the United States. The program is part of efforts to ensure Bulgarian pilots and ground crews are fully prepared to operate and maintain the F-16 Block 70.