Lockheed Martin delivers first F-16 Block 70 jet to Bulgaria

Home
»
Stories
»
2025
»
February

GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Qatar Airways In Talks To Buy 20% Of Virgin Australia - Airline Ratings

Boeing Will Buy Spirit AeroSystems For $4.7 Billion In Stock & Airbus Enters $559 Million Agreement For Its Parts

Bombardier Global Jet Production Stops in Toronto as Union Workers Strike | AIN

Global Industry News

Lockheed Martin delivers first F-16 Block 70 jet to Bulgaria

Policy

Todor Tagarev, Minister of Defence of Bulgaria | Wikipedia

By Sky Industry News

Feb 7, 2025

Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet to Bulgaria, marking a significant upgrade for the Bulgarian Air Force. The delivery took place on February 3 at Lockheed Martin's new factory in Greenville, South Carolina. This move is part of Bulgaria's plan to replace its fleet of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrums with more advanced aircraft.

The Minister of Defence of Bulgaria, Todor Tagarev, described the acquisition as "a huge project and a determined effort towards enhancing the capabilities of our Armed Forces." Mike Shoemaker from Lockheed Martin emphasized that "the F-16 will help the Bulgarian Air Force stay ahead of threats in the region and play a key role in the allied peacekeeping mission in Europe and around the world."

The F-16 Block 70 model offers several enhancements over previous versions, including improved avionics and longer range. It is equipped with a General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engine, an APG-83 radar, and other advanced features like Auto GCAS and enhanced cockpit displays.

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News

By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

An optional feature for this model is L3Harris' Viper Shield electronic warfare suite. Ed Zoiss from L3Harris noted that they are ready to continue flight testing and aim to deliver systems by late 2025.

The main difference between Block 70 and Block 72 lies in their engines: Block 70 uses a General Electric engine while Block 72 uses one from Pratt & Whitney.

Bulgaria's decision to adopt F-16s aligns it with Western military standards, allowing access to shared resources among neighboring countries like Romania and Poland. The transition signifies not only an upgrade in airpower but also strengthens strategic ties with allies such as the United States.

Organizations Included in this History

Simple Flying

More News

FAA raises safety concern over substandard titanium in select Boeing 787 Dreamliners

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has identified a potential safety issue involving ram air turbine (RAT) forward fittings on certain Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft.

Aug 5, 2025

United Airlines flight returns to London after technical issue forces emergency landing

A United Airlines flight from London Heathrow to San Francisco International Airport was forced to return to its departure point shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue.

Aug 5, 2025

Boeing, Saab may join BAE Systems for new RAF trainer project

As the Royal Air Force (RAF) prepares for the retirement of its Hawker Siddeley Hawk T1 aircraft, industry sources indicate that BAE Systems, Saab, and Boeing may work together to develop a replacement.

Aug 5, 2025