The country was cleared to buy 32 F/A-18Es and 8 F/A-18Fs during the final days of the Obama administration
According Gulfnews.com Kuwait is ready to proceed with a plan to buy 40 F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters from Boeing.
The country was cleared to buy 32 F/A-18Es and 8 F/A-18Fs during the final days of the Obama administration.
In November 2016, the U.S. Department of State 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 Department of State said.
“The proposed sale of the F/A-18E/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 Department of state, Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.
As we have previously reported Boeing is currently developing the upgraded Block III Super Hornet. Along with the new long-wave infrared search and track IRST21 system, the new Block III aircraft will feature several other improvements the will enhance the Super Hornet capabilities. In April in fact the U.S. Navy has awarded to General Electric (GE)a $114.8 million contract aimed to install new, more powerful engines on its F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
Part of the Block III package are also the already planned upgrades to the jet’s powerful Raytheon AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) Block IV suite.
Photo credit: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Janweb B. Lagaz and Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Flynn / U.S. Navy
Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com
