The first Bulgarian F-16 jet flew from the USA to its home country, with mid-air refueling. 🎉 Is it the first one in Balkan?

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rintzscar@reddit

Greece has 152 active F-16s. WTF is this question...

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31_hierophanto@reddit

Greece ain't the Balkans for OP, I guess.

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brucebay@reddit

And was still not the first Balkan country which did that.

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toshu@reddit

But they're mostly older configs and the rest are upgrades.

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Even if you believed "it's not the same thing", the original premise is that they ARE the same thing. See the title of the post? He didn't specify "this is such and such bloc of F-16". He said "this is F-16". And Greece's planes are also F-16. Why the F are you trying to make him look good when you know perfectly well, he has no clue what he was talking about?

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Outrageous_Trade_303@reddit

Yeah! the ones are Greek the other ones are Bulgarian /s

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Turbulent-Debate7661@reddit

We have f16 viper dude

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RegionSignificant977@reddit

Don't you have F35 also?

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Turbulent-Debate7661@reddit

Not yet. We have a lot of rafales and we gonna upgrade the 85 out of 150 F16 to the viper(latest) variant. Also there are talks to equip rafales with meteor rockets alongs with the JDAMs.

Everyone here has second thoughts about F35s because US can disable them remotely.

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Tiespecialo@reddit

Greece is also upgrading it's F-16 fleet to viper, and has ordered F-35 too.

While it's great that Bulgaria is upgrading it's armed forces, it has a long way to go if it wants to reach its neighbors.

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RegionSignificant977@reddit

Are there any other Block 70?

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TwoFistsOneVi@reddit

He's technically right. It's the first Bulgarian F-16 in the Balkans

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jebediah_forsworn@reddit

Best kind of corrext

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31_hierophanto@reddit

NIce one, Bulgaria!

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TripluStecherSmecher@reddit

No. Your neighbor Romania have some 40 but not new.

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Nope, he specifically mentioned "Balkan"

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lunapuj@reddit

Even Geographically we are so...

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Nope, only Dobrogea..

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Pintau@reddit

What the fuck are you talking about. The balkan peninsula extends right to odessa in the east and trieste in the west. I will agree that transylvania isnt part of the balkans, but everything south of the carpathians and moldova most definitely are. The balkans is a geographic concept, not a political one, and anyone with eyes can open a map and see exactly where the top of the peninsula is

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

nope, Balkan peninsula is only South of Danube..

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Pintau@reddit

"A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side" Go look at a map. The danube is a historical border, not a geographic one.

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Dude don't give me the definition. Open a map of the Balkan Peninsula..

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Pintau@reddit

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Vesko85@reddit

This is the correct map of the Balkan geographical borders!

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Pintau@reddit

What I posted is from this world atlas, and it is the definition that August Zeun, the geographer who first created the term "balkan peninsula" in 1808, used. Using the Danube is a historical and political definition, whereas the southern wall of the Carpathian mountains is a much more definitive geographic boundary

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lunapuj@reddit

And where is Dobrogea smart ass, in Afghanistan ?

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Dude Dobrogea is Balkan dumbass, 95% of Romania isn't..

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lunapuj@reddit

So Russia isn't an european country because 90% of the country is in Asia, what else mister smart ass?

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

I see you're very knowledgeable. But you got things a bit wrong, it's 99% of it in Asia.

Dude open a book and leave us, normal people, alone.

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schizoesoteric@reddit

Bro south Romania has bigger population than Bulgaria. So does Balkan part of Turkey. These places are Balkan even if some of the country isnt

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Dude South of Romania is not on any Peninsula

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schizoesoteric@reddit

The Balkans has a million definitions but Romania, especially south Romania, has been part of many Balkan empires so I see no reason to not consider it so

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Romania has never been part of any empire, with the exception of the region Transylvania. What you want to say is the today's territory of Romania, which was under Roman, Dacian, Bulgarian empires.

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schizoesoteric@reddit

Yes, Romania was part of the Bulgarian, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

I just told you above, Romania was never part of any empire, with the exception of Transylvania.. and apart from the Bulgarian empire, you can't call the other empires Balkan..

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lunapuj@reddit

Bro you think Romania is not in balkans so I sugest you stop eating sarmale, mici, baklava, rakja, listen to any lautar music take out any "rapirea din serai" carpets, and as a non balkan I declare to you in a very non balkan saying: "hai siktir"

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

We're not bro's, at most the same species.. I suggest you to go to Poland where you can also eat, sarmale, mici, baklava and rakja.. Are they Balkan too?..

Toti georgistii aveti internet acuma :))

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lunapuj@reddit

Tu de fapt chiar te crezi destept. Nu am de gand sa imi pierd juma de ora sa te educ pe tine, ca pare ca degeaba.

Am trait 500 de ani intr-un spatiu socio-economic comun cu alte tari si asta formeaza acest balkani.

Pe langa asta sunt alte sute de ani de istorie comuna Taratul vlaho-bulgar, mostenirea imperiului Bizantin in balcani, crestinizarea romanilor tot prin balcani a venit la noi. Avem cuvinte comune cu Albanezii neincorporate in alte limbi. Asta arata ca cultura noastra e incubata in aceasta zona si s-a dezvoltat aici, majoritate influentelor pana la modernism au venit din sud si sud vest.

Am facut un rezumat scurt ca nu am chef sa iti ofer mai mult, inainte sa te crezi destept gandeste-te poate tu esti georgist da te simti mai dezvoltat ca in graficul Dunning-Kruger

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TripluStecherSmecher@reddit

Ah, when it's bad it's in the Balkans, when it's good it's not anymore.

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Good or bad doesn't matter. You can't move a country on a peninsula..

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EarlGreyKv@reddit

And other neighbour Turkey has approx. 250, Greece has more than 100, so what is this about really?

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Environmental_War256@reddit

Aren't F-16s kinda old by this point? Wouldn't it be better for Bulgaria to have gotten the more modern F-32

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heretic_342@reddit

The one we got is brand new Block 70, which has some advanced avionics. That's one of the best we can get for now, I mean it's not realistic Bulgaria to operate F-35 in the near future. But looking at the situation right now, maybe the better choice was some European aircraft. But whatever, their main purpose is air policing and keeping alive our aviation after the Migs die.

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_-Event-Horizon-_@reddit

Block 70 includes a lot of technology backfired from the F-35. Its radar in particular is amazing. Compared to our MiG-29s it will be like a spaceship. Of course the next logical step would be one squadron of F-35s. Or at least it would be if the US was not shitting on its allies.

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Clear_Ad577@reddit

Americans make good military equipment. It’s dumb to deny that. Are there alternatives? Sort of but some things they make there isn’t an alternative that can compete. We will move past this. Most Americans are in favor of being friends with Europe. I just see it as sucking it up for trumps term and then things will go back to normal. The U.S. still is participating in NATO training even through the media makes it seem like they pulled out of NATO. I mean 4 US troops unfortunately died in Latvia in a training exercise this last month.

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Bapistu-the-First@reddit

The trans-atlantic relationship will not if ever be the same again. Even if, very big if, the democrats win it will take alot of time and effort, maybe decades, to restore trust. But it will never be like it used to be.

Also the F-35 was a joint investment by NATO countries. Individually made European hardware isn't less than US made ones tough. It's just that Europe lacks the capability to produce them en masse. So the return on investment for US hardware is simply greater and thus the preferred choice among other things.

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starlordbg@reddit

I doubt we will be allowed access to the F35s even with the current US admin. Ideally, we need more US fighters, but also EU ones as well.

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AdmirableFlow@reddit

We're upgrading from MiG-29, so F-16 looks like spaceship

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Haxomen@reddit

You know that the mig-29 was developed by the Soviet Union to counter the F-16? The F-16 is in service since 1978 and the mig-29 since 1983. Of course Bulgarian MiGs are obsolete, becuase they weren't updated, but the original design is newer than the F-16

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RegionSignificant977@reddit

Block 70 has the same radar as F35. It makes possible to target and intercept a plane like Mig-29 much sooner.

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starlordbg@reddit

The F16 we are getting is a newer version with better avionics, controls and whatever else.

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RegionSignificant977@reddit

The radar is the biggest upgrade.

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Testiclese@reddit

You know that the BMW 3 series was developed in the 1970’s, right? Why are people still buying it today? Are they all collectively stupid and you’re the only one who figured out they’re buying 50 year old cars?

All - not just American - fighters receive major upgrades throughout their lifespan. New engines, avionics, electronics. This is true for the Dassault Rafale and the SAAB Grippen as well. There’s multiple variants, multiple generations, sometimes with a decade or more in between.

Bulgaria is getting the most modern Block 70. A pilot trained on Block 30 in the 1980’s might not even be able to complete the start and launch sequence on a new one.

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Aggressive_Limit2448@reddit

You cannot maintain Soviet air machinery it's obsolete.

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Stealthfighter21@reddit

Are you gonna pay for it?

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AogamiBunka@reddit

Many countries are now reevaluating or walking away from F35 purchases. Americans will have control over releasing the fighter's software updates/upgrades, parts and armament.

Gripen, Rafale, Typhoon are good options (Saab has even offered to build Gripens in Canada).

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walleryana@reddit

Wouldn't it be better for Bulgaria to have gotten the more modern *F-35

Of course, but:
1. Bulgaria can't afford them or their maintenance.
2. There's no chance in hell the US would sell us F-35s.

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heretic_342@reddit

The one we got is brand new Block 70, which has some advanced avionics. That's one of the best we can get for now, I mean it's not realistic Bulgaria to operate F-35 in the near future. But looking at the situation right now, maybe the better choice was some European aircraft.

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puzzledpanther@reddit

Aren't F-16s kinda old by this point?

No. They get upgraded.

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duckdodgers4@reddit

You're most likely talking about the F35. And no, they made a good choice.

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toshu@reddit

It might indeed be the first brand new F-16 Block 70 in the Balkans.

It seems both Greece and Turkey have purchased upgrade kits or are locally modernizing their older F-16 to Block 70, not sure if Turkey has finished any modernization yet?

Romania's F-16s are an older config. Croatia has new Rafales.

Romania has been approved for F-35s (but no order yet) and Greece has made an F-35 order. Turkey hasn't been approved but that might change with the new US government.

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Aggressive_Limit2448@reddit

However Greece and Turkey I think never maintained Soviet air machinery. That's why they stocked up with now older American jets.

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RedLemonSlice@reddit

Greece has a shitload of them. Turkey has a fuckton. And Romania even has a boatload....

Don't know what you are smoking, but your dealer is apparently on point.

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Avia_Vik@reddit

And even more american jets inserted into European armies ☠️

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DranzerKNC@reddit

Congratulations for brand new F-16s to Bulgaria, but definitely not. Turkish fighters went to and came from USA for different reasons in the past with air-refueling method before. Not sure but very high possibly Greek vipers also did that before.

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FormalIllustrator5@reddit

Block 70, not Block 10 or 20 from 89 the late snow...

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EarlGreyKv@reddit

Turkey started purchasing F-16 with Block 30s. More than half of the fleet is now in Block 50+ configuration.

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kostas_1@reddit

Greece is upgrading 84 of its F-16s to the Viper Block 70 configuration, and has received a number of them so far. The Hellenic Air Force's oldest F-16s are from the 1990s, specifically the Block 30 variant. Greece also operates Block 50 and Block 52+ F-16s.

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faramaobscena@reddit

Greece was first but Romania started the process of integrating F-16s more than 10 years ago. It takes time to move from Soviet style planes to Western style, it’s not just pilots but infrastructure, hangars, technicians, services, etc.

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EarlGreyKv@reddit

Turkey has the most, around 250.

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Significant_Many_454@reddit

Yeah but Greece is the only one in the Balkans with F-16's

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fedexpres@reddit

When i was to crete, greece they even had F-35 stationed there :).

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rintzscar@reddit

That's nonsense, Greece has no F-35s. They ordered 20, but the first delivery is expected in 2028. If you saw F-35s, they weren't Greek.

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fedexpres@reddit

True , but they have tons of F-16s. And they are expecting F-35 in the near future.
The F-35 stationed in Crete I saw were part of some NATO exercise.

Also Romania has F-16 as well.

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concombre_masque123@reddit

romania has mig21 too

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toombs7@reddit

Not in active service anymore, since 2023. Croatia was the last NATO country to fly MiG21s, retired last year.

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rintzscar@reddit

Yes, I know. I already said in this thread Greece has 152 F-16s. You didn't mention F-16s, you mentioned F-35s. Which is nonsense.

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toshu@reddit

Bulgaria has had Dutch F-35s stationed too.

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a_bright_knight@reddit

people who jerk off at military equipment are weird

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Stverghame@reddit

This

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Pipeb0y@reddit

The most surprising thing about this voyage is that the airforce pilots didn’t steal the nafta and claim there were logistical issues

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Outrageous_Trade_303@reddit

That reminds me the "Greek Frigate Affair" the first financial scandal in modern Greece, back in 1826. We bought 4 frigates from USA but the three of them where lost in the way and only one arrived in Greece. If I'm not wrong in one of these there was a mutiny and it was sold (again) to Imbrahim Pasha in Egypt. lol! :)

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