Bulgaria is having talks with the US about deployment of anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems on Bulgarian territory. The negotiations are in fulfillment of the decision of the National Assembly of December 8 to strengthen defense capabilities, Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev said at a hearing in the National Assembly after his 5-day visit to the US.

The minister also said that seven of the eight F-16 fighter jets that have been contracted are in various stages of assembly. "Bulgarian society is looking forward to the delivery of the F-16 Block 70," Tagarev wrote on Facebook yesterday. According to the original agreement, the first 2 fighter jets were to be delivered in mid-2023 and the last 2 in early 2024, but the delivery has been delayed and now the first aircraft are expected in 2025.