Bahrain to Buy 16 F-16s as Part of $3.8 Billion Lockheed Order

Bahrain plans to buy 16 advanced variants of Lockheed Martin's fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets, the commander of the country's Royal Air Force said Tuesday.

The $3.8 billion order includes the option for Bahrain to buy an additional three jets, according to the commander, Maj. Gen. Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla al-Khalifa.

The deal, which had been held up under the Obama administration over human-rights concerns, received state department approval in September.

Deliveries are expected to begin in 2021, and the order will take several years to fulfill. Bahrain was the first country in the region to acquire the F-16 and the proposed new sale would make it the first to acquire the most advanced variant of the jet, Lockheed said in a statement.

Write to Asa Fitch at asa.fitch@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 17, 2017 11:57 ET (15:57 GMT)