First F-16 Block 70 Jet Delivered to Bulgaria

Fighter is one of 16 ordered by the country to modernize its air force.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, February 04, 2025 at 04:31 PM ET

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Kimberly Johnson

Bulgarian Air Force F-16 Block 70. [Courtesy: Lockheed Martin]

Key Takeaways:

Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-16 Block 70 jet to the Bulgarian Air Force, part of an order for 16 aircraft.
Built at the company's Greenville, South Carolina facility, these F-16 Block 70s are expected to enhance Bulgaria's regional defense and allied peacekeeping capabilities.
The delivery highlights Lockheed Martin's ongoing international F-16 Block 70/72 program, which has seen 23 jets delivered to customers and 117 more in backlog.

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The first of 16 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets on order has been delivered to the Bulgarian Air Force, the aircraft manufacturer announced.

The fighters are built in Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, where the company and Bulgaria’s minister of defense marked the delivery with a celebration Friday.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Defence, Atanas Zapryanov, delivers remarks after the official reveal of Bulgaria’s F-16. [Courtesy: Lockheed Martin]

“The F-16 will help the Bulgarian Air Force stay ahead of threats in the region and play a key role in the allied peacekeeping mission in Europe and around the world,” Mike Shoemaker, vice president and general manager of the integrated fighter group at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. “The F-16 has proven its air dominance time and again, and the Block 70 version will give the Bulgarian Air Force a highly capable, combat-proven aircraft.”

The company said it has delivered 23 F-16 Block 70/72 jets to international customers and has a backlog of 117 jets to be produced in Greenville.

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