The long-awaited contract to supply Typhoon aircraft to Kuwait has been signed.
On Apr. 5, the Kuwaiti MoD and Finmeccanica (the Italian aerospace company which leads commercial activities in Kuwait on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium), signed a contract for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
The aircraft, 22 single seaters and 6 two-seaters will be produced in Italy.
The contract, worth about 8 billion Euro and the largest ever for Finmeccanica, is an intergovernmental agreement between the two countries and includes logistics, operational support s well training of both aircrews and ground personnel. The latter will be carried out in cooperation with the Italian Air Force, and in particular, with the 20th Gruppo, ItAF Typhoon OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) based at Grosseto airbase.
A memorandum of understanding was signed in September 2015 but the closing of the deal has been repeatedly postponed until today.
Kuwait (the 8th operator of the aircraft along with Austria, Italy, Germany, Oman, Spain, Saudi Arabia and UK) will get the Typhoon in its most advanced configuration: Tranche 3 planes equipped with the cutting-edge new E-Scan radar (Electronically Scanned array radar).
Image credit: Finmeccanica
Related articles
Good to see this great machine getting a few more sales. Will this have the EJ220 engines though?
Dunnow also because with electronic key power can be already augmented in two steps: 10% and 25 %: it is called engine war asset: that could translate in a trust to weight ratio even superior to f22 one and comparable sueprcruise, with all advantages of typhoon’s airframe in supersonic regime
Smart buy, beautiful air frame.
I’m glad that the Kuwaitis are rewarding Italy and the other European nations with this contract for being there for them and leading the way with manpower and treasure to flag their ships and lead them out of the Gulf in the 1980’s. Then when Iraq invaded them in 1990, and protected them from Saddam after the 1991 cessation of fighting. [Sarcasm off].
They didn’t buy American stuff …apply cold water on burned area..
Kuwait ordered F-18E/Fs several years ago, but Congress (remember both houses are controlled by Republicans) never approved the sale. Kuwait threatened the Eurofighter order because their 1991 vintage F-18s need replacement and to try to compel Congress to get their act together. Boeing has been screaming for Congress to approve the sale as they desperately try to keep the F-18 line open and Kuwait has been broadcasting their intent to sign an order for the Eurofighters if Congress kept dragging their feet. But the Republicans that have repeatedly shut down the government at the cost of billions to spite Obama also don’t want to support American companies if Obama gets the credit. No surprise there.
So what exactly are you saying?
Well the UK are in the consortium, and we escorted Kuwaiti vessels through the Iran-Iraq war, protected them from an Iraqi invasion in 1961 and deployed 45,000 troops in 1990 to liberate them. We then continued to protect them after 1991 with regular patrols and missions over the no-fly zone.
So no real need for sarcasm….
Did I read that correctly? Eight billion Euros for 28 aircraft? I’m in the wrong job…
Yes you read it wrong: “..includes logistics, operational support s well training of both aircrews and ground personnel. ”
Before changing job, be sure to understand what you read in first stance..