U.S. Approves $1.4 Billion Military Sales to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

The United States Department of State authorized potential foreign military sales totaling approximately $1.445 billion to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The packages include $445 million for F-16 sustainment and equipment for Bahrain and $1 billion for helicopter support and training for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi deal consists of two $500 million packages providing spares and training for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Corps' fleet of Apache, Chinook, Lakota, and Black Hawk helicopters.

These approvals follow high-level meetings in Washington between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where the two leaders signed agreements regarding defense, energy, and trade. Simultaneously, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa made a separate $17 billion investment in the United States.

In addition to the hardware sales, U.S. Central Command and Bahrain opened a bilateral combined command post for air defense at Ras Al Bar Camp on December 1, 2025. This facility, the second of its kind in the region after Qatar, will be staffed by both nations to coordinate integrated air defense planning. The expansion follows regional instability, including a 12-day war between Israel and Iran that involved missile strikes at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base and threats against Bahrain.