US-based Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, has received a $1.2 billion contract from the US government to produce 16 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force.

The Undefinitised Contract Action award represents the first F-16 Block 70 sale and the first F-16 production programme to be performed in Greenville, South Carolina, US, said a statement from the company.

Bahrain is the first customer to procure the F-16 Block 70, the newest and most advanced F-16 production configuration, it said.

Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Programme, said: “We value our long-standing relationship with Bahrain and look forward to beginning production activities on their first Block 70 aircraft at our facility in Greenville.”

“This sale highlights the significant, growing demand we see for new production F-16s around the globe,” she said.

Lockheed Martin expects F-16 production to create between 150 and 200 new jobs in Greenville. F-16 production also supports hundreds of US-based Lockheed Martin engineering, procurement, sustainment and customer support jobs and thousands of US supplier jobs.

The F-16 supply chain is currently supported by 450 US suppliers in 42 states.

The F-16 Block 70 features advanced avionics, a proven Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, a modernised cockpit, advanced weapons, conformal fuel tanks, an automatic ground collision avoidance system, an advanced engine and an industry-leading extended structural service life of 12,000 hours.

The combat-proven F-16 continues to prove itself as the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter. To date, 4,604 F-16s have been procured by 28 customers around the world.

Approximately 3,000 operational F-16s are flying today with 25 leading air forces, including the US Air Force, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service