Kuwait Buys 28 Eurofighters
 

Defensenews: Italian MoD Source: Kuwait To Sign Deal for 28 Eurofighters

ROME — Kuwait is expected to sign a deal to buy 28 Eurofighter aircraft on Jan. 31, an Italian Ministry of Defense source has told Defense News. “Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti has been invited by Kuwait to attend the signing for 28 Eurofighter aircraft on Sunday in Kuwait,” the source said on Wednesday.

Italy, which is one of the four industrial partners on the Eurofighter program alongside the UK, Spain and Germany, has taken the lead in marketing the aircraft to Kuwait. A memorandum of understanding was first signed by Italy and Kuwait in September, and a final signature on the contract was initially expected by the end of 2015. The Kuwaiti parliament was required to sign off on the funding.

Kuwait has agreed to buy 22 single-seat and six twin-seat Typhoons in a government-to-government agreement. Italian firm Finmeccanica has been handling the industrial side of the sales push. Industry sources have said the deal, which could be worth up to €8 billion (US $8.7 billion), could see the Kuwaitis become the first export customer for the active electronically scanned array radar being developed for the jet.

The aircraft are expected to be new-build, third tranche, swing-role versions of the fighter, with deliveries starting in 2019 and possibly covering munitions such as the Storm Shadow and Meteor.

An Italian source has said that over 50 percent of the value of the Eurofighter deal in Kuwait would be earned by Finmeccanica, which assembles the aircraft but also provides systems.

I wonder how much Italy paid to sell them?..

Rearrange the following :

Gift the never mouth a horse in look.

With Saudi and Oman already on board, at this rate they'll be needing to rename it. Middleeastfighter?

Or perhaps Jihadi Jet

Hows about Scimitar or Janbiya?

Braked, perhaps the UK missed a trick choosing to annoy the Germans rather than sell to the Arabs. Or possibly the RAF could not bring themselves to name it after a Naval aircraft.

Would Saladin be considered as indelicate in todays market conditions?

Rose, remember in the 50s we deployed both Saracen and Saladin to Aden. Were they named with any conscious ethnic idea or that they, with Scimitar were S-words for weapons?

Don't forget the Sultan, command vehicle variant. But then the Saudis backed out of the deal and the Rocks got stiffed with V8 Jaguar-Engined CVRT that made you deaf through the intercom and had to be fired-up every 2 hours to charge the radio batteries. Handy for OP work, that.

Good news about the Eurofighter sale though - hope it goes through.

Typical ME negotiations, delayed or even possibly cancelled........

Kuwait Audit Bureau Must Approve Eurofighter Deal

Looks like the deal is finally going to be signed...

Kuwait to Finalise Eurofighter Jet Deal on Italian Defence Minister?s Visit to Kuwait

-RP

Alert 5 » Kuwait?s Deputy Prime Minister submits report into alleged corruption in Eurofighter deal - Military Aviation News

Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister submits report into alleged corruption in Eurofighter deal

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmed Al-Mansour has submitted a report into alleged corruption in the deal to buy Eurofighters. A former minister, current and retired officials from the ministry were implicated in the report.