Lockheed Martin to Deliver Seven More By the End of 2025

As part of a sixteen-jet order, Lockheed Martin has delivered its first F-16 Block 70 jet to the Bulgarian Air Force. This marks the start of the nation’s transition away from Soviet-era fighters.

Bulgaria has been operating a fleet of Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets for over 35 years, with the first being delivered just before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Though it previously had as many as 24 in service, the country has been gradually phasing them out, and it seems that only a small handful are still operational.

The nation made its replacement for the old MiG-29s clear by signing a contract with Lockheed Martin in 2019 for eight F-16 Fighting Falcons. In 2022, Bulgaria made another deal with the manufacturer to double the order.

The first F-16 Block 70 jet from the order, featuring a Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA Radar, an extended structural service life of 12,000 hours, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS), was delivered to Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo Air Base on April 13, 2025. The other seven jets from the first order should arrive before the end of the year.

“This is not just a celebration of a new aircraft for the Bulgarian Air Force; it represents a new era of enhanced security, advanced capabilities and strengthened partnerships in the region,” expressed Mike Shoemaker, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin. “Lockheed Martin has been proud to serve as a bridge between the United States and Bulgaria as we work together to achieve peace through strength around the globe.”

In the meantime, Bulgarian Air Force pilots and maintenance crews will be learning the ins and outs of the F-16 in the US. The nation is also commencing construction of 16 new shelters and two mobile hangars to support the jet’s arrival.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com