Delivery to Bahrain Next Year
Delivery of the first (of 16) F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force was celebrated at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, SC facility on 10 March.
The first Gulf Cooperation Council member to field the original F-16 in the early 1990s, Bahrain is now the first to operate the Block 70. “Today’s ceremony represents the next generation of the powerful and proven legacy of the F-16, and demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to advancing this program and getting this much-needed aircraft and its advanced 21st Century Security capabilities to the warfighter,” explained O J Sanchez, VP Integrated Fighter Group. “With the Block 70 iteration, we are transforming 4th-generation for the next generation for the Royal Bahraini Air Force and other partners and allies around the world.” The aircraft will now proceed to Edwards Air Force Base, CA, for further flight tests prior to being delivered to Bahrain next year.
Six countries have so far selected Block 70/72 aircraft. In addition to the current official backlog of 127 aircraft, Jordan has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 12, and Lockheed Martin has received a contract to commence long-lead activities. Bulgaria has also signed for an additional eight aircraft, taking the backlog to 147 when completed.
