Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

President Rumen Radev co-pilots F-16, praises the aircraft's capabilities

Photo: BGNES

President Rumen Radev was co-pilot in an F-16 fighter piloted by an Italian pilot. The demonstration flight from the Graf Ignatyevo airbase lasted 40 minutes. 

"The F-16 flight took me back to 2005, when General Clark, then a captain, and I flew such a fighter. At that time, I was the commander of the Graf Ignatyevo Air Base, and the NATO defence planning process was initiated after our accession," Radev said. 

He recalled that thanks to cooperation with the US, "we have mastered many modern tactics, techniques and procedures, we have mastered the full capabilities of the MiG-29 and our pilots are no longer inferior to their American counterparts".  

Radev expressed confidence that the acquisition of the F-16 Block 70 would remove a number of technical limitations for Bulgarian aviation. "In order to fully exploit the capabilities of this wonderful aircraft, we need to continue working with the pilots at Aviano Air Base," Radev added.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Good conditions for mountain tourism

The weather in the mountains is sunny with light wind in some places, the Mountain Rescue Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross reports. However, icing is possible on some of the mountain paths. In places on the ridges there is moderate..

published on 1/28/25 10:25 AM

Bulgarian clergy and laity bid farewell to the hegumen of the Zograf Monastery

A requiem liturgy has been served in the "St. Nedelya" Cathedral by the hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in memory of the hegumen of the Zograf Monastery, Archimandrite Ambrose. After a short illness, he left this world on January 27 in the..

published on 1/28/25 9:58 AM

University of Forestry celebrates its 100th anniversary

The University of Forestry is organizing a series of events dedicated to the century-old path of forestry education in Bulgaria. The first event is tonight, when a retrospective of forestry activities will be held with a lecture..

published on 1/28/25 9:04 AM