The US State Department has approved a potential $445-million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to support and sustain Bahrain’s fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft.
The package—led by General Electric and Lockheed Martin—includes aircraft components, missile containers, radar receiver parts, guidance and control section spares, weapons system support, ground handling gear, and laboratory and instrumentation equipment. The procurement supplements an earlier $47-million FMS agreement.
The previous package, which fell below the congressional notification threshold due to the absence of major defense equipment, involved modifications, software identification numbers, aircraft maintenance equipment, launcher spares, and related logistics and program support.
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the proposed sale aims to bolster Bahrain’s defense readiness and enhance its ability to participate in regional missions alongside the United States and allied partners.
Bahrain became the first Gulf nation to operate F-16C/D Block 40 fighters in the early 1990s and was the launch customer for the F-16 Viper Block 70, under a deal worth approximately $3.8 billion finalized in October 2017.
The US Department of Defense awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.1-billion contract in June 2018 to build the new aircraft, with the first jet completed in March 2023. Delivery timelines were postponed from 2022–2023 to 2024 due to pandemic-related delays.
The Royal Bahraini Air Force currently fields around 20 F-16s, including older airframes and five newly delivered F-16V Block 70 aircraft, with additional deliveries planned.
