The Bulgarian government has approved an order from an American fighter company to replace its fleet of obsolete aircraft.
Bulgaria has moved forward with negotiations to buy a second batch of F-16 fighter jets and related equipment from the US in a deal worth $1.30 billion. This is what Bulgaria’s interim Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said, Reuters reports.
In particular, Sophia ordered eight F-16s from Lockheed Martin in 2019. The Bulgarian government aims to replace obsolete Russian MiG-29 fighters and improve compliance with NATO standards.
“Acquiring new aircraft is very important for the Bulgarian Air Force. We have old Soviet aircraft that we cannot service because of the problems that arose after the war in Ukraine,” said the Bulgarian official.
He noted that the interim government had approved a project to acquire eight new F-16s. The agreement must be approved by parliament, which will meet after the general election on 2 October.
Bulgaria plans to receive an entire squadron of 16 aircraft. It is also currently in talks with Poland to buy eight engines to keep its fleet of Russian fighter jets operational until the end of 2023.
The first F-16 aircraft is planned to be delivered to Bulgaria in 2025. In addition, the country plans to lease other military aircraft to protect the airspace in the meantime.
The Bulgarian government has already sent inquiries to the United States, Israel, the Netherlands, France and Sweden on the issue of leasing military aircraft.
The F-16 is a multifunctional light military jet aircraft, which is the most powerful fourth generation fighter.
It will be recalled that Ukraine has also made progress in negotiations with the United States regarding the supply of F-16 fighters.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.