Bulgaria, which is expecting the delivery of the first eight F-16 fighter jets from the United States next year, lacks both the infrastructure and pilots ready to even operate them.
This statement was made on Thursday by the Acting Minister of Defense of Bulgaria, Atanas Zapryanov.
“Next year, Bulgaria will receive eight F-16 aircraft. The first two will arrive at the end of March – early April 2025. The rest will arrive in the second quarter, at the end of the third quarter, and all eight aircraft will be in Bulgaria,” explained Atanas Zapryanov.
In total, Bulgaria is set to receive 16 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets.
The delivery of the fighter jets is crucial for the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
Although the Bulgarian Air Force struggles to carry out air patrol missions due to the outdated Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets, the infrastructure at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base, where the F-16s are supposed to be stationed, is still not ready.
