U.S. Officials Greenlight $1.6 Billion Sale of F-16 Block 70s to Bulgaria

Approval means Bulgaria is one step closer to buying four F-16 C Block 70 and four F-16 D Block 70 fighters.

Tuesday, April 05, 2022 at 02:40 PM ET

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The aircraft would be manufactured in Lockheed Martin's new facility in Greenville, South Carolina. [Courtesy: Lockheed Martin]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $1.6 billion sale of eight Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Block 70 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria.
This acquisition aims to bolster a NATO ally, improve Bulgaria's security capabilities in the Black Sea region, and enhance its interoperability with other NATO forces.
The advanced F-16 Block 70 jets will modernize Bulgaria's air force; however, U.S. officials clarified the sale is not directly related to the separate discussions about providing MiG-29s to Ukraine.

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U.S. State Department officials have approved the potential $1.6 billion sale of eight Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Block 70 fighter aircraft and related equipment to Bulgaria, it announced Monday.

According to U.S. officials, the government of Bulgaria’s requested purchase of the 4th generation NATO fighter included four F-16 C Block 70 aircraft, four F-16 D Block 70 aircraft and 11 F100-GE-129D engines.