Lockheed Martin prepares first F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bahrain
Bahrain is under contract for the Block 70s under a $1.12 billion deal for 16 aircraft. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The delivery of the latest configuration of the F-16 Fighter jet will strengthen US-Bahrain ties, will significantly enhance the Gulf country’s air capabilities and has the potential to further increase demand for the jet in the region.
Lockheed Martin delivered the first F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force during an official ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina.
However, the jet still awaits additional flight tests in the US and will only land in Bahrain in 2024 with the full order arriving by 2025.
Bahrain is under contract for the Block 70s under a $1.12 billion deal for 16 aircraft.
The country was the first F-16 operator in the Gulf Cooperation Council beginning in the early 1990s and is the first customer to procure what Lockheed Martin called the ‘newest and most advanced F-16 production
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