Facing a multi-year delay in delivery of its F-16s, Bulgaria is considering buying secondhand interim aircraft—and doing its best to keep its existing Soviet-era jets aloft.

NATO member Bulgaria is now facing delays with deliveries of its American-made Block 70 F-16 Fighting Falcons. The southeastern European nation had ordered two batches of eight Fighting Falcons, the first in 2019 and the second in 2022. Aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin has already delivered the first batch, but the second batch won’t begin to arrive in Bulgaria until at least the second quarter of 2030—nearly three years later than the previously planned 2027 handover date.

Lockheed Martin has stated that production delays are at issue and is working to accelerate the manufacture of the multirole aircraft, The Sofia Globe reported. While Bulgarian officials are understandably unhappy, there are no indications that they intend to cancel or renegotiate the contract.

“We expect assurances that the delay will not affect the final price of the contract, as well as specific actions to reduce the delays,” said Bulgarian Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov. “For me as a minister, it is important to see F-16s flying in the Bulgarian sky, to have the necessary spare parts and components for aircraft maintenance, as well as sufficient, trained pilots.”

The program of record calls for the Bulgarian Air Force to operate 16 of the advanced Block 70 variants, including 10 single-seat F-16Cs and six twin-seat F-16D models. The American-made single-engine fighters will replace Bulgaria’s aging fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum jets.

About the F-16 Block 70 Fighter Jet

• Year Introduced: 2023
• Number built: ~23
• Length: 49.3 ft (15 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft (9.45 m)
• Height: Approximately 16.7 ft (5.1 m)
• Weight (MTOW): Approximately 48,000lbs (21,772kg)
• Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan
• Top Speed: ~1,500 mph (2,414 km/h) / Mach 2.0
• Range: ~1,740 nmi (2,000 miles, 3,220 km)
• Service Ceiling: ~50,000 ft (15,240 m)
• Loadout: Internal six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon; nine hardpoints, including six under wings, two on the wingtips, and one under the fuselage; two additional locations under the fuselage for pods.
• Crew: 1–2, depending on variant

The F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcons are equipped with advanced avionics, extended structural service life, and enhanced safety features such as the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS), with a structural service life of 12,000 hours. In addition, the fighters are outfitted with the APG‑83 AESA radar, which shares 95% software commonality and 70% hardware commonality with the F‑35 radar.

The F-16s are also part of a global supply chain that includes more than 530 suppliers in a dozen countries, with a “strong network of European partners,” the aerospace firm noted. That includes LOTN in Slovakia and Avioman in Bulgaria, which each contributed to the aircraft’s production.

Lockheed Martin delivered its first F-16 Block 70 aircraft to Slovakia in July 2024. Part of a total order for 14 advanced multirole fighters, that delivery marked a significant step in modernizing the Slovak Air Force. Bulgaria subsequently received the first of eight Block 70 fighters in January 2025, with the aircraft then arriving at Graf Ignatievo Air Base in April. 

Amid F-16 Delays, What Options Does Bulgaria Have?

As it must now wait potentially four years for the arrival of the new Block 70 F-16s, Sofia has reached out to Washington about the potential sale of “secondhand” Fighting Falcons to ensure Bulgaria can maintain its NATO obligations and defense capabilities.

The Trump administration has called for NATO allies and partners to step up their defense spending and to take over more of Europe’s defense needs. In this case, Bulgaria can hardly be blamed, and it is now exploring options.

For the Balkan nation, the purchase of the F-16s could be one it regrets. It selected the newly-built American aircraft over secondhand Eurofighter Typhoons from Italy and JAS 39 Gripens from Sweden. The delivery delays follow issues with the F-16s during initial training, Aviation Week explained.

Even as the original contract was for Bulgaria to replace its MiG-29 Fulcrums, it may have to keep those Soviet-era fighters in service until the new F-16s can arrive.

The Bulgarian Air Force has also contacted other NATO members that operated the Mikoyan-made jet fighter, including Poland and Hungary, to determine if it can obtain spares and even operational fighters as a stopgap measure until the remaining Fighting Falcons finally are able to nest in the Balkan country.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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