If approved, the sale will include support and communications equipment, ammunition, training, spare and repair parts, technical documentation and “other related elements”, Gulf Daily News (GDN) reported.
In the late 1980s, the then Bahrain Amiri Air Force (BAAF) started looking to complement its helicopter-only fleet with fighter jets. After acquiring 12 F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft, the US government approved the purchase of the more advanced F-16. Bahrain became the 15th F-16 customer, and the first customer in the Gulf region.
Bahrain ordered a total of 22 F-16s through two Foreign Military Sales programs.
For more than 40 years, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has proven itself as the world’s most capable 4th generation multi-role fighter, serving as the workhorse of the fighter fleet for 28 customers around the world.
Since the first flight of the F-16 in 1974, Lockheed Martin has led the design and development of the Fighting Falcon, providing critical structural and avionics upgrades to ensure the aircraft remains relevant for many years to come.
With more than four decades of technological advancements and 138 different configurations, today’s F-16s have matured far beyond the original variants – they are much more capable, versatile and advanced.
