Is the first Bulgarian F-16 new or second-hand? This question arose after the false information that the new fighter was used spread on the Internet.
This is told in a report by "Nova TV".
Soon after it was announced that the first F-16 Block 70 for Bulgaria was ready, claims appeared on social networks that the delivered aircraft was not new. Some of them are based on a collage with two photos of different F-16 fighters, presented as proof that Bulgaria did not receive the Block 70 model. This is false – neither of the two aircraft in the images is an F-16 Block 70 and is not related to the Bulgarian delivery, a Factcheck check shows.
In fact, the fighters shown in the publication are not from the F-16 Block 70 series.
The upper frame depicts an F-16AM Block 20 from the Belgian Air Force — a modification of the F-16A that has undergone the Mid Life Update (MLU) resource extension program.
The lower frame shows an F-16F Block 60 — a two-seat variant developed specifically for the United Arab Emirates Air Force. These modifications are used only by the UAE. The original photo was published on the Flickr platform, where it is indicated that the aircraft is an F-16F Block 60.
According to the published publications, the above aircraft (F-16A) was presented to the Bulgarian public as a modern F-16 Block 70, without meeting this standard. The aim is to suggest that Bulgaria received outdated or used equipment. This is false.
There are significant differences between the F-16A presented in the publication and the F-16 Block 70 model produced for Bulgaria in terms of avionics, radar system, design and armament capabilities.