Bahrain air force to purchase advanced F-16s

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - The Bahraini armed forces has agreed to purchase 16 upgraded F-16 fighter planes -- for a total of $3.8 billion -- from U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, Bahrain’s official news agency reported Tuesday.

The purchase agreement was announced on the second day of the Bahrain International Defense Exhibition and Conference (BIDEC) 2017 currently underway in Manama.

At a Tuesday press conference held on the exhibition’s sidelines, Major-General Hamad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, commander of Bahrain’s Royal Air Force, said the new F-16s would greatly contribute to the development of Bahrain’s air force fleet.

BIDEC 2017 kicked off Monday under the patronage of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The event was organized in coordination with the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen and the Riyadh-based Islamic Coalition against Terrorism.