Lockheed Martin: Assembly of Bulgaria's first F-16 fighter jet has begun

Assembly of the first F-16 fighter jet for the Bulgarian Air Force is underway, Lockheed Martin said, adding that all Bulgarian fighter jets will be produced at the Greenville, South Carolina, plant.

F-16 production in Greenville is making significant progress, with fighter jets now being assembled simultaneously for more countries - Bahrain, Slovakia and Bulgaria - and the first test flight of an F-16 fighter will be in early 2023, the company explained.

Lockheed said it is honoured to support Bulgaria in its desire to buy eight more F-16 fighter jets and appreciates its strong cooperation with the Bulgarian Air Force.

The fleet of F-16 fighters will offer Bulgaria the best combination of advanced 21st century capabilities with operational capability and lifecycle costs at an affordable price as well as strategic partnership opportunities.