The US government has announced that it has approved the sale of eight F-16 fighters to Bulgaria to “strengthen the country’s security” as a NATO member amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, AFP reports.
A statement from the US State Department said it had announced to the US Congress that it intended to sell the aircraft for $ 1.67 billion.
The statement did not specify whether the sale was aimed at “paving the way for the transfer of old Russian planes belonging to Bulgaria to Ukraine,” AFP added.
The contract for the supply of aircraft was published in the State Gazette in July 2019. According to the document, Bulgaria is buying 8 fighters, the first aircraft should be delivered by mid-2023, 4 fighters will be delivered by the end of 2023, and the last – in early 2024. The operational readiness of the aircraft must be reached at the end of the fifth year from the date of entry into force of the contract.