site.btaFuel Leak Found on Bulgaria’s F-16 Fighter Jet, Repair Expected by End-September, Says Defence Minister

A fuel leak has been detected on one of Bulgaria’s F-16 fighter jets, and a representative of Lockheed Martin will arrive by the end of September to fix the problem, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said in a written reply to a question by Vazrazhdane MP Tsoncho Ganev regarding the two F-16 Block 70 aircraft delivered to the Bulgarian Air Force earlier this year. The reply was published Monday on the National Assembly’s website.

The issue was found on a two-seat F-16D Block 70 aircraft, where fuel was leaking from one of the internal tank compartments. Engineers from Graf Ignatievo Air Base, together with US field representatives, carried out extensive work on the aircraft to identify the likely cause. A report has been prepared, and after consultations with the US side, it was agreed that a Lockheed Martin specialist will come to Bulgaria to carry out the repair. 

The Bulgarian Air Force holds regular consultations with its US partners and has already requested additional spare parts and materials, Zapryanov noted.

Bulgaria received two F-16 Block 70 fighter jets in April and June, respectively; they currently are not used for air policing missions. Under the 2019 contract, the country is expected to receive a total of eight aircraft by the end of 2025. The Bulgarian Air Force is expected to have a full squadron of F-16 Block 70s by the end of 2027, when eight more jets are expected to be delivered under a second contract.

The Defence Ministry cannot specify the delivery dates for the remaining six aircraft under the first contract, as flight planning from the US is a complex process, Zapryanov added.