Kuwait Air Force Receives Four More Eurofighter Typhoon Fighter Jets
Kuwait received the fifth batch of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft purchased from Italy last week. The Kuwait Air Force welcomed this new shipment of four aircraft with a ceremony at Ali Al Salem air base (ICAO: OKAS). Many officers from the Kuwait Air Force were present for the aircraft welcoming ceremony.
The delivery took place as part of an $8.7-billion deal signed on April 5, 2016, between the Ministry of Defense of the State of Kuwait and Leonardo (as the Main Contractor) in order to enhance the combat readiness of the Kuwaiti Air Force. In addition to the sale of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets—22 single-seat and 6 double-seat—the agreement also included the training of Kuwaiti technicians and pilots. At a ceremony on December 7, 2021, at the Casselle Air Base in Italy, Kuwait received the first batch of aircraft, which consisted of two Eurofighter Typhoons. Kuwait, which has received a total of 13 Eurofighter Typhoons in five different batches since the first delivery, intends to put the remaining 15 aircraft into service by the end of 2024.
The Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft received by the Kuwaiti Air Force (KAF) are the most advanced configurations ever produced. In addition to the previous Typhoon’s development programs, this multi-role fighter aircraft features the Euroradar consortium’s Captor-E radar (M-scan and E-scan version), Lockheed Martin’s Sniper advanced targeting pod (ATP), DRS-Cubic ACMI P5 combat training pod, and an advanced navigation assistance system. The capability package provided to Kuwait also includes the integration of Storm Shadow and Brimstone, as well as other air-to-surface munitions, which enhance and expand the aircraft’s multi-role capabilities. In this context, the US State Department approved the sale of a series of air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions to Kuwait for Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft last year.
Aside from the Eurofighter Typhoons, Kuwait purchased 28 F/A-18E/F Block III Multi-role aircraft from the United States on June 27, 2018, under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) arrangement. The delivery schedule, which was supposed to be completed by 2022, was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Kuwait has yet to receive one of these aircraft. The aircraft, which are currently ready for transportation, are expected to be delivered to the Kuwaiti Air Force soon. With the purchase of Eurofighter and F/A-18E/F aircraft, Kuwait was also expected to retire the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets procured in the mid-1990s. However, in recent months, Kuwait requested long-term logistics support for F/A-18 aircraft from the United States and decided to keep its ‘classic’ Hornets operational.