POSSIBLE SALE OF 19 F-16V FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO BAHRAIN APPROVED

Moreover 20 F-16 Block 40 aircraft already in service with Royal Bahraini Air Force will be upgraded to F-16V configuration

The Trump administration has given Bahrain the clearance to buy 19 new Lockheed Martin F-16V fighter aircraft for around $2.785 billion.

Transmittal No: 16-59 from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency also confirmed the upgrade of 20 F-16 Block 40 aircraft already in service with Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) to F-16V configuration. Bahrain would pay around $1.082 billion for the upgrade.

All jets would be powered by the F-110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan engine and equipped with Northrop Grumman APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

If the sale is confirmed, RBAF F-16Vs could be the first Vipers to be built in Greenville, South Carolina. As we have recently explained Lockheed Martin has decided to move the F-16 production line from Forth Worth, to Greenville to make more room for F-35 line in Texas. Because of the move about two years are required to start the F-16 production in South Carolina.

According to Lockheed Martin, having served with 28 customers around the world, the F-16 continues to prove itself as the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft. Currently the F-16V, an option for both new production F-16s and F-16 upgrades, is the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market. The F-16V configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security.

The F-16V provides advanced combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16V configuration is the APG-83 AESA radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus. Operational capabilities are enhanced through a Link-16 Theater Data Link, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, advanced weapons, precision GPS navigation, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

Photo credit: Lockheed Martin photo by Randy Crites

Source: Lockheed Martin