Successful Flight of First Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 fighter jet

Successful Flight of First Bulgarian F-16 Block 70

Lockheed Martin announced the successful flight of the first Bulgarian F-16 Block 70.

The flight recently occurred at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Greenville, South Carolina, with test pilot Charles “Seeker” Hoag successfully conducting multiple system tests to validate performance and supersonic capabilities during the flight.

Bulgaria will be the second European country to receive the F-16 Block 70. Slovakia had been the first.

This F-16 Block 70 jet will be the first of 16 to be delivered to Bulgaria. Bulgaria signed its first Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for eight F-16s in 2019 and signed a second LOA for an additional eight jets in 2022.

The Bulgarski Voenno Vzdushni Sili (Bulgarian Air Force) will receive four F-16C Block 70 aircraft and four F-16D Block 70 aircraft, plus associated munitions and equipment.

Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 jet completes successful first flight.

Deliveries delayed until 2025

Plans initially called for the first planes to arrive in Bulgaria in 2023 and the last ones in 2024, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed delivery until 2025.

“The F-16 has proven its 21st Century Security capabilities time and again,” said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager, Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, in a company news release. “With the F-16 Block 70, the Bulgarian Air Force will be well-equipped to secure its borders and partner with U.S, European and NATO allies.”

The first Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 jet takes to the skies in Greenville, South Carolina.

Sanchez added: “The F-16 was integrated by design from the beginning as a versatile, adaptable and scalable aircraft. Whether it be through air policing or offensive missions if required, the F-16 is strengthening NATO partnerships and will continue to do so for years to come.”

F-16 Block 70/72

The F-16 is currently operated by 27 countries, with six countries selecting the F-16 Block 70/72 version for their fleets. The Block 70/72 has an official backlog of 128 jets to-date to be built in Greenville.

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Today’s latest version, the Block 70/72, offers unparalleled capabilities and will be flown by at least five countries beginning in the mid-2020s.

The F-16 Block 70/72 in fact combines capability upgrades, most notably the advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with a new avionics architecture, and structural upgrades to extend the structural life of the aircraft by more than 50 percent beyond that of previous production F-16 aircraft. F-16 Block 70/72 software takes advantage of technologies not available when earlier Block F-16s were developed and produced. Operational capabilities are enhanced through an advanced datalink, targeting pod and weapons; precision GPS navigation and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

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Photo credit: Lockheed Martin