site.btaAs He Meets with Pilatus Aircraft Officials, President Rumen Radev Highlights Need to Step Up Training of F-16 Fighter Pilots

President Rumen Radev emphasized the need to step up the training of flight personnel for the F-16 fighter jets, suggesting that the Pilatus PC-21 aircraft could serve as a suitable platform for this purpose. The Head of State met with representatives from the management of the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft, according to the President’s Press Secretariat.

Ioannis Papachristofilou, Vice President of Pilatus Aircraft, presented the capabilities of the company’s Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft and the possibilities for industrial cooperation with Bulgaria. He noted that beyond its benefits for pilot education and training, Pilatus Aircraft also offers partnership in the technical and logistical support of the aircraft, as well as collaboration with Bulgarian software companies.

The President added that cooperation with the Swiss company would not only contribute to the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces but also provide new opportunities for economic collaboration between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by Swiss Ambassador Raymund Furrer.

Bulgaria received its first two F-16 Block 70 fighters in April and June. Under the 2019 agreement, the country is to receive a total of eight such aircraft by the end of 2025. The Bulgarian Air Force is expected to have one full F-16 Block 70 squadron by the end of 2027, when eight more aircraft are expected to be delivered under a second agreement.

According to Admiral Emil Eftimov, Chief of Defence, the first combat duty of the F-16s is expected no earlier than 2026. He noted in early June that the first aircraft, delivered in April, is already flying, and confirmed that there are enough trained pilots ready to operate the fighters.