FILE PHOTO: U.S. Servicemen stand next to the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during its presentation in Tapa military base, Estonia January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and related equipment to Bahrain for an estimated cost of $500 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The principal contractor for the sale is Lockheed Martin.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Bhargav Acharya; editing by Rami Ayyub)