Bahrain has concluded a $3.8-billion deal with US aerospace and military equipment giant Lockheed Martin to purchase 16 upgraded F-16 fighter jets.
The Bahrain Defense Force announced on Tuesday it signed the agreement with Lockheed Martin during a military exhibition in the Persian Gulf sheikhdom, AFP reported.
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The US State Department had informed Congress in March that it planned to approve a request by Manama to purchase the fighter jets.
The multi-billion dollar arms deal with Bahrain, which is home to America’s Fifth Fleet, comes as US President Donald Trump has eased restrictions on arms sales to certain countries including Bahrain.
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In September, Reuters cited an unidentified US official as saying that the $3.8-billion agreement was a package arms deal, which included 19 F-16 fighter jets, upgrades, 35-meter patrol boats equipped with machine guns, and 221 anti-tank missiles.
The deal comes as Manama has been under fire by the international community for its heavy-handed crackdown on dissidents and political activists.
The article has been adapted from its original source.