Bulgaria's Defense Minister Zapryanov in the US for F-16 Handover Ceremony

Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov will travel to the United States for a three-day visit starting January 29. During his visit, he will attend a ceremony on January 31, 2025, at Lockheed Martin's production facility in Greenville, South Carolina, where the first of Bulgaria’s new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets will be officially handed over.

The Bulgarian delegation accompanying the minister includes Deputy Defense Minister Adelina Nikolova, Deputy Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Krasimir Kanev, Air Force Commander Major General Dimitar Petrov, and Colonel Vladislav Shekerov, the Director of the Armaments Policy Directorate. Bulgarian Ambassador to the United States H.E. Georgi Panayotov and military attaché Colonel Ivan Bogdanov will also attend the ceremony, which will feature representatives from Lockheed Martin, the US Department of Defense, the US Air Force, as well as US lawmakers and local officials from South Carolina.

The ceremony marks the first of 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft that Bulgaria is set to receive as part of two contracts signed in 2019 and 2022. The first two jets are expected to arrive in Bulgaria by April 2025. During his stay in the US, Minister Zapryanov will tour Lockheed Martin's Greenville facilities to learn more about the production process and capabilities. He will also meet with Bulgarian Air Force personnel currently undergoing training at the site, as well as US military officials involved in the aircraft's delivery process.

Source: Ministry of Defense