Bahraininfo-icon has concluded a $3.8-billion deal with a USinfo-icon aerospace and military equipment giant to purchase 16 upgraded F-16 fighter jets.

The Bahrain Defense Force announced on Monday it signed the agreement with Lockheed Martin during a military exhibition in the Persian Gulfinfo-icon sheikhdom, AFP reported.

The State Department had informed Congress in March that it planned to approve a request by Manama to purchase the fighter jets.

The US multi-billion dollar arms deal with Bahrain, which is home to Americainfo-icon's Fifth Fleet, comes as US President Donald Trumpinfo-icon has eased restrictions on arms sales to certain countries including Bahrain.

In September, Reuters cited an unidentified US official as saying that the $3.8-billion agreement was a package arms deal, which included 19 F-16 fighter jets, upgrades, 35-meter patrol boats equipped with machine guns, and 221 anti-tank missiles.

The US State Department removed human rightsinfo-icon conditions on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain after US President Donald Trump announced in May that Washington's relations with Manama were set to improve. The announcement came after Trumpinfo-icon met Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah during a visit to Saudi Arabiainfo-icon.

The deal comes as the Manama regime has been under fire by the international community for its heavy-handed crackdown on dissidents and political activists.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime's ruthless clampdown, which has the backing of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emiratesinfo-icon.

They are demanding that the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.