Lockheed Martin dispatches three F-16 Block 70 Jets to Bahrain

Lockheed Martin announced the dispatch of three F-16 Block 70 jets, from its manufacturing plant in Greenville, South Carolina, to Bahrain on Wednesday.

Bahrain is the first Gulf Cooperation Council member to operate this advanced variant of the F-16.

OJ Sanchez, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group, emphasized,“with the introduction of the F-16 Block 70, we are witnessing a significant leap in fighter capabilities. The integration of this proven platform will allow the Royal Bahraini Air Force to safeguard its skies effectively,” said Sanchez.  

In 2018, Lockheed secured a $1.1 billion contract  to produce16 Block-70 fighters for Bahrain. Currently, five F-16 Block 70 jets have been produced for Bahrain, with 11 more in various stages of production and testing.

Significantly, major GCC nations such as Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. have preferred to buy the French Rafale aircraft over the F-16 in recent years.