With the help of the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Bahrain has made significant efforts to upgrade its defense systems and modernize its armed forces over the last 20 years. In 1982, the GCC gave Bahrain $1.7 billion for this purpose. Since the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. has provided military and defense technical assistance and training to Bahrain from foreign military sales (FMS), commercial sources, excess defense article sales (EDA) and under the International Military and Education Training (IMET) program. The U.S. Office of Military Cooperation in Bahrain is attached to the U.S. Embassy and manages the security assistance mission. U.S. military sales to Bahrain currently total $2.5 billion. Principal U.S. military systems purchased by the BDF include eight Apache helicopters, 54 M60A3 tanks, 12 F-16C/D aircraft, 14 Cobra helicopters, and the TPS-59 radar system. Bahrain has received $255 million in U.S. EDA since 1995.

Military exercises are conducted on a regular basis to increase the BDFís readiness and improve coordination with the U.S. and other GCC forces. The BDF also sends personnel to the United States for military training. This training includes courses from graduate level professional military education down to entry level technical training.