An F-16 Block 70 fighter jet of the Royal Bahraini Air Force recorded its first aerial victory on April 1, repelling an Iranian attack. One of the aircraft shot down several long-range Shahed-type strike drones that had evaded ground-based air defenses.
This was reported by Aviation Week, citing its own sources. It is noted that a single fighter jet shot down two Shahed drones using AIM-9X and AIM-120C-7 missiles. Since the start of the war with Iran on February 28 this year, Bahrain has intercepted a total of 515 drones and 194 missiles launched at its territory.
Read more: U.S. MQ-4C Triton Vanishes Over Persian Gulf After Transmitting Emergency Code 7700, Loss of Control, First-Ever Combat Loss Possible
Shooting down Shaheds with AIM-9X missiles—let alone AIM-120C-7s—is far from cheap. However, according to an analysis by RUSI, the cost of these missiles is not nearly as significant as that of other weapons.
During the first 16 days of the war with Iran, three countries—Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE—collectively used only 57 AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles. This represents just 3.8% of their total missile stockpile of 1,500 units. The situation is similar in other countries. For instance, the U.S. fired a total of 204 missiles. That is less than 1.5% of its stockpile of 14,000. Kuwait saw the largest depletion of its stockpile, firing 63 missiles, which accounts for 12.6% of its 500-missile stockpile. The situation has changed somewhat as of today, but not significantly.
Using missiles like the AIM-9 and AIM-120 to shoot down Shaheds is a costly option. However, Bahrain does not yet appear to have an optimal solution for its fighter jets, namely APKWS, which has gained widespread popularity as an anti-drone weapon, largely due to Ukraine.
The U.S. Department of State approved the sale of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets to Bahrain in 2017. The deal included 19 new aircraft worth $3.8 billion and the modernization of an additional 20 F-16C/D Block 40 aircraft for $1 billion. Bahrain received its first F-16 Block 70 in March 2024. The sale of 32 AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and 32 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles was also approved alongside the fighter jets.
Read more: Ukraine Could Receive British Weapons Under a €90 Billion Loan, Including Storm Shadow and Nightfall Missiles — What Problems Might Arise?
