The Bulgarian Prime Minister Jelyazkov stated that the arrival of the first F-16 is a symbol of the army’s ideological transformation and modernization.

The first of the 16 F-16 fighter jets from the “Block 70” series ordered by Bulgaria from the U.S. was ceremoniously welcomed. 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 U.S. 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-MADE MiG-29s Jelyazkov stated that the foundation for Bulgaria’s genuine modernization efforts for the Armed Forces was laid in 2019. He noted that the decision to replace the aging Russian-made “MiG-29” fighter jets currently in use with a new fleet was made in Parliament after a heated debate, saying, “The efforts made in Parliament were not in vain. Bulgaria had made a civilized choice in favor of democratic values, the rule of law, and the defense of human rights when deciding on NATO and European Union (EU) membership.”

“ALSO A SYMBOL OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S.”

Emphasizing that the “Block 70” series F-16 fighter jets are also a symbol of Bulgaria’s strategic partnership with the U.S., Jelyazkov said that this partnership creates guarantees for security in the eastern flank of NATO and the Black Sea region. Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov also remarked, “The arrival of the F-16 marks the beginning of the process of technological rearmament of the Air Force.” He mentioned that along with the new aircraft, new “Stryker” armored vehicles have started to arrive for the Land Forces, and the second new patrol ship for the Naval Forces has been launched. Zapryanov stated, “As the defense minister, I will do my best to ensure that the year 2025 is also remembered for the conclusion of contracts for other advanced systems and platforms of key importance for our defense and that of our allies.”

16 NEW F-16s ACQUIRED FOR 3 BILLION EUROS The ceremony was attended by the Bulgarian Chief of Defense General Eftim Eftimov, representatives of Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-16s, and other officials. As part of the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, in addition to the 16 new F-16s purchased from the U.S. for around 3 billion euros, under the approval of Parliament, 198 “Stryker” military armored vehicles were acquired for 1.1 billion euros, along with $100 million worth of “Javelin” anti-tank missile systems.