Bulgaria has officially signed Amendment No. 1 to the Framework Agreement with US defence company Lockheed Martin under the Industrial Cooperation Programme linked to the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft, the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry said during the HEMUS 2026 international defence exhibition in Plovdiv. The document was signed on behalf of Bulgaria by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Poulev and Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation Ivan Vasilev. Robert Wilkerson, Director of Global Pursuits Europe for Lockheed Martin, signed on behalf of the US company.
The amendment builds on the results achieved so far under the programme and creates conditions for developing new capabilities for the maintenance of F-16 Block 70 aircraft in Bulgaria. The specific project envisages establishing a facility capable of repairing F-16 Block 70 generators, a high-tech activity for which comparable capabilities currently exist in only a limited number of European Union member states.
Quoted by his ministry’s press service at the signing ceremony, Poulev said that attracting investment had been the central message during official visits and delegations conducted jointly with Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Germany, France and Brussels. He added that, alongside efforts to attract new investment, protecting Bulgaria’s national interest through the promotion and prioritization of industrial cooperation had been a key focus of international discussions.
Poulev further said that Bulgaria was actively developing relations not only with its traditional partners in the European Union but also with its strategic partners in the United States. He described the continuation of dialogue and industrial cooperation with one of the defence industryr’s leading global companies as particularly important.
The ministry reiterated that the amendment would expand the programme’s existing achievements and support the development of maintenance capabilities for F-16 Block 70 aircraft in Bulgaria, including the planned generator repair facility.
At the end of May, Bulgaria’s government approved amendments to a project under the Framework Agreement between Bulgaria and Lockheed Martin Global Inc. concerning the F-16 Block 70 Industrial Cooperation Programme, the government’s press service recalled.
Following a National Assembly decision of May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Economy and Industry was transformed into the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry, while the Ministry of Innovation and Growth was merged with the Ministry of Electronic Governance to form the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
In light of these structural changes, the government approved amendments to Council of Ministers Decision No. 349 of 2026, authorizing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry, together with the Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation, to sign Amendment No. 1 to the Framework Agreement between Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy and Lockheed Martin Global Inc. regarding the F-16 Block 70 Industrial Cooperation Programme.