On behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended a reception hosted by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Held at the Ritz Carlton in Manama on the sidelines of last week Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS 2018), the reception commemorated 30 years of partnership with Bahrain’s Defense Force (BDF), on the sidelines of last week Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS 2018).

HH Shaikh Isa welcomed three decades of strong relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, underpinned by a joint commitment to global security and prosperity, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

HH Shaikh Isa went on to highlight the extensive and mutually supportive relationship Bahrain enjoys with its global defense partners and reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing BDF’s combat readiness.

HH Shaikh Isa later underscored the importance of cultivating defense research and development to ensure the mitigation of global threats.

Bahrain recently signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to supply the BDF with the latest F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon, one of the world’s most capable fourth-generation fighter aircraft. Bahrain is the first nation to procure this new configuration of Fighting Falcon.

The Minister of Defense Affairs Lieutenant General H.E. Yousef bin Ahmed bin Hussain Al Jalahma, Commander of the Royal Bahraini Air Force Major General H.E. Shaikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the United States of America to Bahrain the Honorable Justin Siberell and Lockheed Martin’s Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group Mr. Rod McLean also attended the event.