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Lockheed Martin Completes F-16 Block 70 Fleets for Bulgaria and Slovakia

Production completion clears the way for deliveries, training, and integration with NATO systems.

Overview

  • All aircraft were built in Greenville, South Carolina, and have completed DD250 final acceptance through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.
  • Slovakia becomes the first European operator of the Block 70 variant as the new jets replace its retired MiG-29s.
  • Bulgaria transitions from older Soviet-era fighters to its first modern 4.5-generation fleet tailored for NATO air policing and national defense.
  • The Block 70 configuration adds the APG-83 AESA radar with F-35 commonality, conformal fuel tanks, a modern digital cockpit, a 12,000-hour airframe, and Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System.
  • The program draws on more than 530 suppliers across 12 countries, including LOTN and Avionams, and supports over 1,500 U.S. jobs at the Greenville final assembly line.