Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain has signed an agreement to purchase the Patriot missile defense system from the U.S. Army through Raytheon Company, the Defence Post website stated.

Raytheon, an international aerospace and defense company, announced that Bahrain will be the 17th customer of the Patriot worldwide.

"This letter of offer and acceptance allows the U.S. government to begin contract negotiations with Raytheon for production of an undisclosed quantity of systems and missiles," the company said in a statement.

Raytheon's Patriot "will ensure the Kingdom of Bahrain is well-equipped to defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and manned and unmanned aircraft," Ralph Acaba, company president of Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business, said in the statement.

Other Middle Eastern customers include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

In May, the U.S. Department of State approved Bahrain's procurement of the Patriot system at an estimated cost of $2.4 billion. The approval includes a number of Launching Stations, other components, tools and test equipment.

Arabic Version