New F-16 Block 70 Takes Flight in Bulgaria’s Airspace for the First Time

The new Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 aircraft, which arrived in Bulgaria on April 2, has successfully completed its first flight in Bulgarian airspace. The flight took place around 5 pm yesterday, when the aircraft lifted off from Graf Ignatievo Air Base. This flight marked an important step in the ongoing procedures for officially integrating the multi-role fighter into the Bulgarian Air Force.

Aviation enthusiasts were on hand to capture striking images of the aircraft in the air. At the end of April, concerns arose about the technical condition of this new F-16 Block 70, with speculation surfacing that the aircraft was not new or was in poor shape.

In response, the Ministry of Defense and the Bulgarian Air Force firmly dismissed these rumors. They clarified that a technical deviation was detected in one of the aircraft's systems during its ferry flight to Bulgaria. They assured the public that the aircraft would only take to the skies once it was fully prepared and posed no risk to pilots, maintenance crews, or the new aviation equipment.

The technical acceptance procedure for this first Bulgarian F-16 Block 70, designated with on-board number 301, has now been completed. The aircraft has begun the next phase, which involves flight tests to confirm it is ready for operational use. All activities are being carried out according to the relevant regulations and requirements for bringing new military equipment into service.