Dubai: Kuwait has informed the US that it plans to go ahead with the purchase of 40 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, a Kuwaiti daily reported on Wednesday.
Specialised military committees will follow up on the details of the purchase of the fighter jets, and their maintenance, training and spare parts, Al Rai reported.
The daily added Kuwait had sought to purchase 40 Super Hornet Aircraft — 32 F/A-18E and eight F/A-18F, all with F414-GE-400 engines — with support, equipment, and training at an estimated cost of $10.1 billion.
In November 2016, the State Department said it had approved the sale, explaining it “will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-Nato ally that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political and economic progress in the Middle East”.
“Kuwait is a strategic partner in maintaining stability in the region. The acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft will allow for greater interoperability with US forces, providing benefits for training and possible future coalition operations in support of shared regional security objectives,” the State Department said.
“The proposed sale of the F/A-l8E/F Super Hornet aircraft will improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future warfare threats. Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft will supplement and eventually replace the Kuwait Air Force’s ageing fighter aircraft.”
According to the State Department, Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.
