Delayed presentation of the first Bulgarian F-16

The ceremony of handing over Bulgaria's first F-16 Block 70 aircraft (in two-seat version) was organized on 31 January 2025 at Lockheed Martin plant in Greenville, South Carolina. The ceremony was attended by the Bulgarian defence minister Antas Zaprianov, who must have been relieved to know about delays visible throughout the program. It started six years ago, erstwhile in May 2019 the U.S. Department of State approved the transportation to Bulgaria of 8 F-16C/D Block 70/72 fighters and related equipment and services (with a full value of up to $1.673 billion).