Dec 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of sustainment for F-16 jets and related equipment to Bahrain for an estimated cost of $455 million, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The principal contractors for the sale will be General Electric Aerospace GE.N and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics LMT.N, the Pentagon said in a statement.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil)

((ismail.shakil@tr.com;))