On 20 October  2020 the United States State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Political and Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper visited Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo and Bezmer air bases, as well as the Novo Selo Training Area with U.S. Ambassador Herro Mustafa and Deputy Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov. 

While at Graf Ignatievo, Assistant Secretary Cooper had the opportunity to observe U.S. airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing supporting the Bulgarian Air Force in the NATO enhanced Air Policing Mission, which keeps Bulgarian skies safe and enhances interoperability between NATO partners. 

During his visit, the Assistant Secretary stressed the importance of these joint-use facilities in enhancing NATO capabilities, and expressed the United States’ gratitude to Bulgaria for its commitment to the Alliance.

That partnership began in 2006 when the United States and Bulgaria signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement that provided for the joint use of several military bases and allowed the U.S. military to increase participation in training exercises in Bulgaria.In conjunction with Assistant Secretary Cooper’s visit, the United States Embassy in Bulgaria announced that the United States Air Force intends to provide two decommissioned F-16 aircraft to the Bulgarian Air force, subject to the approval of the United States Congress. At the request of Bulgaria’s government, these two airframes will be transferred through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program for use as training aids and general familiarization tools for Bulgarian Air Force personnel.

The donation of these two fighters follows Bulgaria’s recent purchase of eight Block 70 F-16s from the U.S., which was an essential step towards the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces and brings more resources to the Bulgaria-US joint security mission in the Black Sea region.