US Approves Potential $500m HIMARS Sale to Bahrain

News Desk

Washington:  The US State Department has approved a potential $500 million sale of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Bahrain, in a move aimed at bolstering the Gulf nation’s defense capabilities and strengthening regional security cooperation.

The proposed package, pending approval by the US Congress, includes four HIMARS launchers, three field artillery tactical data systems, M28A2 low-cost practice rocket pods, high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle fire direction centers, and M1084A3 resupply vehicles, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

In a statement, the DSCA said the sale would “improve Bahrain’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its ability to provide critical support for the security of US installations and personnel in Bahrain, integrate into US‐led coalitions, and operate independently in support of US interests and the security of US forces in-theater.”

Lockheed Martin, based in Texas, has been named the principal contractor for the potential deal. No offset agreement has been proposed.

Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is a major non-NATO ally, has been seeking to modernize its defense systems amid rising regional tensions. During the Iran-Israel conflict in June, Tehran launched missiles toward Al Udeid Air Base in neighboring Qatar, the hub of the US Ninth Air Force in the region.

If finalized, Bahrain would join the United Arab Emirates and Jordan as the only Middle Eastern countries currently operating the HIMARS system. The platform can fire six guided rockets with a range of about 70 kilometers (37 miles) or a single Army Tactical Missile System with a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles).