The Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday of a proposal to provide Kuwait with $1.8 billion in long-term support for its fleet of F/A-18 fighter jets.
The State Department said in a press release that Kuwait is seeking “continuation of contractor engineering technical services; contractor maintenance services; Hush House (an enclosed, noise-suppressed aircraft jet engine testing facility) support services; and Liaison Office Support.”
The long-term support includes “F/A-18 avionics software upgrades; engine component improvements; ground support equipment; engine and aircraft spares and repair parts; publications and technical documentation,” and other forms of maintenance, engineering and logistical support.
Why it matters: Kuwait has flown Boeing’s F/A-18C and F-18D Hornet since the 1990s, but has been phasing those planes out in favor of new F/A-18 E and F Super Hornets purchased from the US in 2016.
Kuwait originally planned to put the new Super Hornets into service by last year, but that was pushed back, reportedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in upgrades to the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, where the planes were to be housed.
It’s not immediately clear when Kuwait will put the new Super Hornets into service. In March, the US awarded Boeing a $70 million contract to provide logistics support for Kuwait’s new F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets.
Tuesday’s press release said that the sale would “improve the security of a Major Non-NATO ally that has been an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. … The proposed sale will improve Kuwait’s ability to meet current and future regional threats … [and] will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
Know more: Boeing announced in February that it would end production of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet variants by 2025 after a final sale to the US Navy.
Kuwait’s air force received the first 28 Eurofighter Typhoons in late 2021 following an $8.7 billion contract with Leonardo signed in 2017.
