F-16 Block 70 in Bulgaria (Photo: VASSIL DONEV/EPA)

A technical malfunction in a recently delivered F-16 Block 70 fighter jet to Bulgaria has caused political turmoil in Sofia, with lawmakers suspecting foreign intelligence agencies and sabotage, Euractiv reports .

The aircraft, which is part of Bulgaria's strategic transition to NATO-standard defense capabilities, arrived from the United States a month ago. It is the first of a planned 16 fighter jets, the newspaper reported.

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After the F-16 malfunction was discovered, the parliamentary Committee on Security Services called for an investigation into "possible unauthorized access by hostile organizations to classified information" and "potential sabotage aimed at the official integration of the aircraft into the Bulgarian Air Force."

Parliamentarians are also demanding official hearings with the participation of Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov and the heads of military and civilian intelligence services.

Zapryanov denied any accusations of sabotage.

"There was no sabotage of the F-16. Let's stop the political attacks. Bulgarian pilots and crews are professionals," he said.

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The minister clarified that the problem was related to an equipment malfunction discovered by the American pilot during delivery.

According to him, the malfunction will be fixed directly by the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and the aircraft will remain under the technical supervision of American specialists for the next three years.

"A simple technical issue has turned into a domestic and foreign policy drama," he added, suggesting that "politicizing the incident risks undermining public confidence in Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic military transition."

As the publication notes, the episode highlights the high sensitivity of the issue of defense procurement and cybersecurity of a NATO border state, given the current regional instability and hybrid pressure from Russia.

  • On January 16, the deputies of the National Assembly in Bulgaria approved a new government headed by Prime Minister Zhelyazkov.
  • On April 3, the Bulgarian parliament did not approve a resolution of no-confidence in the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov, which was introduced by the pro-Russian Renaissance Party with the support of two populist-nationalist parties.