U.S. Clears $445M F-16 Sustainment Sale to Bahrain

The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Bahrain for F-16 sustainment and related equipment valued at $445 million.

This is according to a congressional notification issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) today.

Bahrain requested aircraft components, missile containers, radar receiver parts, guidance and control section spares, weapons system support, ground handling equipment, and laboratory instruments. These items will be added to an existing FMS case that previously fell below the congressional notification threshold.

The earlier $47 million case included aircraft modifications, Computer Program Identification Numbers, maintenance support equipment, launcher spare parts, consumables, repair-and-return services, classified and unclassified software, technical publications, studies, surveys, transportation support, and U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics services.

Bahrain has operated F-16s since 1990, when it became the first Gulf state to field the aircraft to improve interoperability with U.S. and partner forces.

General Electric Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics are the principal contractors.