Bulgaria will receive all of its F-16 fighters by the end of 2025, as confirmed by both the U.S. government and the manufacturer of the aircraft. The assurance was made public by Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov during a presentation to the Defense Committee.

Zapryanov further revealed that the certification of facilities at the Graf Ignatievo airbase has been successfully completed, with approximately half a billion leva allocated for its modernization. He emphasized that the American inspection team was highly satisfied with the state of the infrastructure, assuring that this will not pose an obstacle to receiving the fighter jets.

The Defense Minister also noted that the upgrades to the Graf Ignatievo facilities are part of a broader effort, with the goal of creating state-of-the-art infrastructure. These improvements are necessary not only for the F-16s but also to replace some of the oldest airport facilities in Eastern Europe, many of which date back to the Warsaw Pact era.

The Defense Committee has already approved the defense budget for the year, which allocates 2.09% of Bulgaria’s GDP for military spending. The Minister expressed hope that the government will increase funding to 2.5% of GDP within the three-year budget framework to further support the modernization of the military.

Sources:

• BNR
• BNT