US-based company Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract valued at more than $1.124 billion for the manufacture and delivery new F-16 V Block 70 fighter jets to Bahrain, said in the statement of the US Department of Defense (DoD).
According to the Pentagon, Bahrain ordered 16 new F-16 V Block 70 fighter jets
The Block 70 is the newest and most advanced F-16 production configuration, combining numerous capability and structural upgrades.
The F-16 Block 70 combines capability upgrades, most notably the advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with a new avionics architecture, and structural upgrades to extend the structural life of the aircraft by more than 50 percent beyond that of previous production F-16 aircraft.
F-16 Block 70 software takes advantage of technologies not available when earlier Block F-16s were developed and produced. Operational capabilities are enhanced through an advanced datalink, targeting pod and weapons; precision GPS navigation and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
Work on the contract will occur in South Carolina and Texas. The period of performance on the contract will expire in September 2023.