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Lockheed Martin awarded contract to build F-16 Block 70s for Bahrain

June 25, 2018 (by Asif Shamim) - Lockheed Martin received a $1.12 billion contract from the U.S. government to produce 16 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force.

Concept art of the Bahraini F-16 Block 70. [Photo by Lockheed Martin]

The Undefinitized Contract Action award represents the first F-16 Block 70 sale and the first F-16 production program to be performed in Greenville, South Carolina.

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

"We value our long-standing relationship with the Kingdom of Bahrain and look forward to beginning production activities on their first Block 70 aircraft at our facility in Greenville," said Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Program. "This sale highlights the significant, growing demand we see for new production F-16s around the globe."

Lockheed Martin expects F-16 production to create between 150 and 200 new jobs in Greenville. F-16 production also supports hundreds of U.S.-based Lockheed Martin engineering, procurement, sustainment and customer support jobs and thousands of U.S. supplier jobs. The F-16 supply chain is currently supported by 450 U.S. suppliers in 42 states.

The F-16 Block 70 features advanced avionics, a proven Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, a modernized 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.


Courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation