Introduction
Bulgaria is the latest (2024) European customers of the F-16. The nation spent much of the 20th century as part the Soviet influence and part of the Warsaw Pact. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Warsaw Pact, and Soviet Union, the country reduced the size of its military drastically with also the air force reducing in size but still having a considerable fighter force of up to roughly 220 aircraft consisting in a mix of MiG-21's, Su-22's, Su-25's, MiG-23's and MiG-29s.
During the nineties the financial situation of the country got in dire straights and one-by-one the different aircraft types were withdrawn from usage with in the end only the MiG-29's soldiering on. They received minimal upgrades to ensure NATO compatibility.
Inventory
Initial Order
In the course of 2005 the Bulgarian government had been searching desperately for new fighter aircraft to replace their aging MiG-21/23 fleet. Both options of new and second-hand aircraft have been discussed. Lockheed-Martin has offered brand new F-16C/D block 50's while informative talks with the Belgian government to purchase second-hand F-16's with the MLU upgrade also took place. This program died a silent death.
In 2016 another program was launched with the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen being the preferred bid. However things stalled again. In 2019 the Bulgarian government ultimately signed a country for the delivery of 8 new-built F-16C/D block 70 fighters. On 20 August 2021, the Bulgarian Defence Minister told in a parliamentary hearing that Bulgaria released a Letter of Request (LOR) for a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) for a second batch of 8 F-16 block 70's. The request also included air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons packages, as well as logistics, training, and aircraft maintenance equipment.
In early 2025 the first Bulgarian F-16 was delivered to the air force with the remainder of the order being completed by 2026.
| Program | Model | Block | Qty. | Serials | Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Order | F-16C | Block 70 | 6 | 311/316 | 2025-2026 |
| F-16D | Block 70 | 2 | 301/302 | 2025 | |
| Follow-on Buy | F-16C | Block 70 | 4 | ? | ? |
| F-16D | Block 70 | 4 | ? | ? |
Operational Service
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