Bahrain to buy US fighter jets

Bahrain is seeking to buy 20 US-made F-16 fighter planes at an estimated cost of 303 million US dollars, the Pentagon said.

In a letter to congress, defense officials said the Gulf emirate is seeking to purchase either 20 F-16 A-B's or 10 of the more advanced F-16 C-D fighters, made by Lockheed Martin, to boost its air power and eventually replace its aging F-5 fleet.

The pentagon said the sales "will not affect the basic military balance in the region."