April 3, 2025 April 17, 2025

U.S. Embassy Sofia Helps Bulgaria Welcome its First F-16

April 3, 2025 — Bulgaria’s first F-16 landed on Wednesday afternoon at the Third Fighter Air Base at Graf Ignatievo. With Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, and U.S. Chargé D’Affaires Susan Falatko in attendance, the aircraft touched down at 14:29. The aircraft had departed the Lockheed Martin assembly facility in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 31. A Tennessee State Air National Guard KC-135 tanker provided aerial refueling services en route, with representatives of the Tennessee National Guard – Bulgaria’s counterpart in the State Partnership Program – on board the tanker.

July 2, 2024

85th Fighter Group reactivates at Ebbing ANGB for F-35A FMS mission

EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark — The 33rd Fighter Wing reactivated the 85th Fighter Group and 57th Fighter Squadron and simultaneously deactivated Detachment 1 during a ceremony here July 2. Col. Nicholas Ihde assumed command of the 85th FG and Lt. Col. Jonathan Hassell assumed command of the 57th FS during the ceremony, marking an important step forward to the unit’s efforts to build early operational capability for countries participating in the F-35A and Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 FMS process.