Bulgaria to buy a second batch of eight new F-16s from US
Bulgaria’s caretaker government has approved the purchase of a second batch of eight new F-16 fighter jets needed to bring its air force in line with NATO standards
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s caretaker government said Thursday it has approved the purchase of a second batch of eight new F-16 fighter jets needed to bring its air force in line with NATO standards.
The decision still needs parliamentary approval, but the Cabinet authorized Bulgaria's defense minister to sign the contracts with American aerospace company Lockheed Martin once the expected approval is granted, the government said.
Bulgaria wants to buy four F-16 C Block 70 aircraft and four F-16 D Block 70 aircraft, plus associated munitions and equipment.
It would be the second batch acquired by Bulgaria, which contracted to buy eight multi-role F-16 Block 70 aircraft in July 2019 for $1.3 billion. Plans initially called for the first planes to arrive in Bulgaria in 2023 and the last ones in 2024, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed delivery until 2025.
