Bulgaria’s First F-16 Block 70 Aircraft Encounters Malfunction

Bulgaria’s first delivered F-16 Block 70 fighter jet has been grounded due to a system malfunction detected during the acceptance process.

Air Force Commander Rusev stated that the issue is not considered serious; however, the aircraft cannot be officially inducted into service until it completes its test flights.

Former Defense Minister Stoyanov blamed the malfunction on a lack of spare parts and criticized the previous government’s budget-saving decisions.

While the delivery process is now delayed, Slovakia has reported no issues with its own F-16 Block 70 aircraft. The first batch of eight jets is expected to be delivered by the end of 2025, with a second batch planned for delivery by 2027.