The first Bulgarian F-16 malfunctioned

The F-16 Block 70 fighter jet received in early April malfunctioned after landing in Bulgaria and cannot take off while waiting for spare parts.

Major General Nikolay Rusev, Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, announced this.

During the flight tests of the first Bulgarian F-16 fighter jet, which were part of the aircraft’s commissioning, a malfunction of one of the systems was detected on board.

The problem was discovered after the aircraft landed in Bulgaria, but it is unclear whether the malfunction occurred during the flight or after arrival. At the same time, Rusev emphasized that the discovery of such a malfunction does not mean that the aircraft is defective.

Acceptance of the aircraft is still ongoing and includes two stages: technical and flight testing. Rusev noted that the process is lengthy, and the aircraft will be officially accepted into service only after both stages are completed. As part of the flight test, at least two flights with the participation of a Bulgarian pilot are to be conducted. Only after confirmation of flight readiness will the fighter be put into operational use by the Bulgarian Air Force.

Former Defense Minister and current presidential defense advisor Dimitar Stoyanov, who is also an aviation engineer, noted that the plane is unable to fly because one of the units is broken. The necessary part is not currently available in Bulgaria, as it was not included in the original delivery package to reduce the cost of the contract.

He emphasized that the current problem could have been avoided if the offer with guaranteed round-the-clock delivery of spare parts by Lockheed Martin had been accepted. Instead, Bulgaria chose a cheaper deal, which led to a shortage of critical components.

The Minister of Defense stated that negotiations with the United States on the supply of spare parts and support for the aircraft’s life cycle are already underway.

The first aircraft delivered to Bulgaria is a two-seat combat trainer modification of the F-16. Its acceptance into service and the start of pilot training will be postponed until the aircraft is fixed.

According to the plans, seven more fighter jets purchased under the first contract are to arrive in several batches by the end of 2025.

Eight aircraft of the same modification ordered under the second contract are to be delivered by 2027. Thus, the country will form a full-fledged F-16 Block 70 squadron.

It is worth reminding that Bulgarian fighter jets come from the same assembly line that produces aircraft for the Slovak Air Force. The latter received a batch of two aircraft in April, but no deviations in the operation of the aircraft were reported.