Bulgarian Air Force to have 11 trained F-16 pilots by year-end

By the end of the year, Bulgaria will have 11 trained pilots for its F-16 fighter jets, and the number is expected to reach 15 by April next year, Air Force Commander Major General Nikolay Rusev told BNT. Bulgaria currently has eight trained pilots.

Nikolay Rusev recalled that Bulgaria already has eight F-16s, which are being actively operated by the Bulgarian Air Force and have logged around 700 flight hours. According to him, 32 pilots need to be trained, enough to operate 16 aircraft He noted that the delay in the delivery of the second batch of eight aircraft is due to delays at the manufacturing plant.

Major General Nikolay Rusev stressed that 16 F-16s are not sufficient to meet the country’s needs. He believes talks should begin on acquiring another squadron, which could enter service in the next decade. The general clarified that this would not involve additional MiG-29s, but a Western-made multirole fighter aircraft, including second-hand aircraft.

Edited by Diana Tsankova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov