CAIRO- Bahrain has signed a $912 million deal with Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., to buy 12 AH-1Z Viper helicopters, Bahrain News agency reported on Thursday.

Bahrain will receive the first batch from the American aerospace manufacturer by the end of 2022, the agency added.

The news came during a news conference held by Air Vice-Marshal Shaikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Al-Khalifa, the commander of Bahrain's royal air force, at Bahrain International Airshow that is taking place this week.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah Editing by Alexandra Hudson)