US approves Kuwait Eurofighter weapons package

The US State Department has cleared Kuwait to buy a range of weapons for the country’s Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet fleet, at an estimated cost of $397 million.

Major items in the package include 60 AIM-120 C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs); 250 MK-84 General Purpose bombs; 501 MK-83 General Purpose bombs; 350 KMU-556 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for GBU-31V1 bombs; 702 MXU-667 Air Foil Groups (AFG) for GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II (EPW-II) bombs and 702 MAU-210 Enhanced Computer Control Groups (ECCG) for GBU-48 EPW-II bombs.

Other supporting items include FMU-139 joint programmable fuze systems, training devices, spare parts and inert munitions, according to a 21 July US State Department notification.

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are noted as ‘principal contractors’ for the weapons fits.

‘The proposed sale will improve Kuwait’s ability to meet current and future regional threats,’ added the US State Department.

Kuwait had received four of 28 Eurofighter Typhoons under order from Leonardo as of March 2022.

The aircraft are equipped with the Captor E AESA radar with antenna repositioner, Lockheed Martin’s Sniper laser designator pod, the DRS-Cubic ACMI P5 combat training pod and enhanced VOR navigation aids.