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Kuwait receives first units of Eurofighter Typhoon; F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet will also be purchased
Eurofighter Typhoon
Image: Public Domain
Rafael Ramos
12/9/2021
During December 8th, in a ceremony at Leonardo's headquarters, in Caselle, Italy, the Kuwait Air Force received its first two Eurofighter Typhoon units. The version is Tranch 3, the latest in the fighter. The planes should go to Kuwait next week.
In 2016, the government of Kuwait signed an agreement with Leonardo, worth 8.7 billion dollars, to acquire 22 single-seat and six dual-seat Eurofighter Typhoon fighters. The agreement also included support and training items for the pilots, as well as logistical support for three years. Deliveries were scheduled to start in 2019, but the schedule was delayed.
The fighters are equipped with the AESA Captor-E radar, an advanced AN/AAQ-33 Sniper sniper pod and more. They will also be equipped with Brimstone air-to-ground missiles and the Storm Shadow cruise missile.
“This is a milestone in our comprehensive strategy to generate a quantum leap in the readiness of the Kuwait Air Force and the fruit of a long history of defense cooperation with Italy,” said the KAF second-in-command.
The fighter acquisition is part of Kuwait's fighter aviation renewal program. In addition to the Eurofighter jets, the country acquired, in 2018, 28 units of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet in its most updated version for 10 billion dollars.
The first Super Hornet units have already been delivered to the US Navy and in the coming months are expected to be transferred to the Kuwait Air Force, but they also suffered schedule delays because of the pandemic.
All aircraft must replace the F/A-18 C/D Hornet fleet, which has already been in service for 30 years. Last month, the Royal Malaysian Air Force expressed interest in acquiring F/A-18D Hornet fighters used by Kuwait.
F/A-18 Super Hornet
Image: Public Domain
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Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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