Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

MoD Atanas Zapryanov: First eight F-16s to arrive next year

Photo: BTA

Bulgaria will receive the first eight of the contracted sixteen F-16 Block 70 aircraft next year, caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov announced in Dolna Mitropolia. Two aircraft will arrive at the end of March and the remaining six at the end of September.

The minister said he hoped that by the time the first eight F-16s are delivered, the Bulgarian Army would have trained pilots to fly the fighter jets.

"We should be ready to start training people for the F-16s. All the pilots who are to be part of the programme are in training," Atanas Zapryanov was quoted as saying. He also stressed the importance of infrastructure, which he described as a major challenge.

The Minister of War visited the Georgi Benkovski Air Force Academy, where an augmented virtual reality system was inaugurated, enabling full-scale study of the F-16 Block 70 aircraft.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Georg Georgiev

Bulgaria is against removing the unanimity requirement for EU foreign policy decisions

Bulgaria consistently opposes proposals to remove the requirement for unanimity in decision-making within the framework of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev said in response to a question from MP..

published on 11/12/25 6:09 PM

President vetoes legislative amendments related to the special manager at Lukoil

President Rumen Radev has vetoed the legislative amendments related to the appointment of a special commercial administrator in the Lukoil refinery in Burgas. The head of state said that the amendments undermine the legal order in..

published on 11/12/25 4:02 PM
Pavel Popov

Blagomir Kotsev to be mayor of Varna from detention center

"As of today, there will be no acting mayor of Varna and the position will be held by the legally elected mayor Blagomir Kotsev," said deputy Pavel Popov at a press conference. According to him, Kotsev will fulfill his duties and the..

published on 11/12/25 3:35 PM