September 14, 2015 By Eurofighter GmgH

Germany: The Eurofighter Consortium today welcomes the State of Kuwait as a new member of the Eurofighter community.

This new international success follows an order from the Sultanate of Oman for 12 aircraft in December 2012 and it is a further evidence of growing interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon across the globe and in the Gulf Region in particular with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman who have already ordered this combat aircraft.

On behalf of the consortium and its Eurofighter Partner Companies (EPC) the CEO of Eurofighter, Alberto Gutierrez, said: “This new agreement is the confirmation of the superiority of the Eurofighter over its competitors and will provide a great opportunity for further Eurofighter orders. We are delighted to welcome Kuwait as the newest member of our Eurofighter Typhoon family. The Eurofighter is already proven and trusted by six nations to perform in all operational environments.”

With Kuwait, the Eurofighter Typhoon confirms its role as Europe’s largest military collaborative programme with a total of 599 aircraft committed. It provides leading-edge technologies and strengthens Europe’s defence industry in international competition. More than 100,000 jobs in 400 supplier companies are involved in this four-nation programme and deliver significant contributions.

Since entry into service of the first Eurofighter Typhoon at the end of 2003, 444 aircraft have been delivered to six nations: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. In December 2012, Oman became the seventh customer and ordered a total of twelve aircraft.

Eurofighter Typhoon is currently in service at 22 operational units and up to now, the whole fleet has completed more than 300,000 flying hours worldwide.

March 10, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: US Central Command; issued March 09, 2015)

Eagle Resolve 2015 Multilateral Exercise Kicks Off in Kuwait

MACDILL AFB, Fla. --- U.S. forces, Gulf Cooperation Council nations and international partners are participating in the multilateral Eagle Resolve exercise held in Kuwait, according to U.S. Central Command officials.

Eagle Resolve 2015 kicked off March 8 and the exercise concludes March 31, officials said. Exercise events are being held in Kuwait and its territorial waters, officials added.

Eagle Resolve will consist of a weeklong series of "injects," simulated events designed to exercise participants' ability to respond as a multinational headquarters staff, followed by a series of tactical demonstrations of land, maritime and air forces from several nations, officials said.

The exercise ends with a senior leader seminar to foster an environment for commanders to discuss issues of regional interest, officials said.

About 3,000 U.S. military personnel representing U.S. Central Command headquarters and its components along with military representatives from more than a dozen other nations will support the exercise, officials said.

This is the Kuwaiti government's first time hosting this exercise, officials said.

Qatar hosted Eagle Resolve 2013, officials said. The first iteration of the exercise was held at Centcom’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida, in 1999.

Italy will send four Tornado aircraft to Iraq to serve in a reconnaissance role.

Nov. 14, 2014 - By TOM KINGTON – Defense News

ROME — Italy will send four Tornado aircraft to join coalition operations against the Islamic State in Iraq, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

The aircraft, which will be based at Ahmed Al Jaber air base in Kuwait, will be used for reconnaissance missions only, he added.

In a letter sent to the Italian parliament, Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said the aircraft would be accompanied by 135 support staff.

Pinotti said Italy was also dispatching to Iraq a number of Folgore 80mm anti-tank weapons previously used by the Italian Army.

In October, Italy said it would send a 767 tanker aircraft and two unarmed Predator drones to assist operations against fighters in Iraq, as well as 280 instructors.

Italy also sent a loaded C-130J to Baghdad, for shipment to Erbil, on Sept. 12. On board was a collection of arms worth €1.9 million (US $2.4 million), including 100 MG 42/59 machine guns and 100 12.7 Browning machine guns, plus munitions taken from Italian military stocks.

But there were also 2,000 RPG munitions and 400,000 machine gun rounds taken from a collection of arms and munitions seized in 1994 from a vessel allegedly defying a blockade to ship arms to Serbian fighters during the Balkan wars

23 June 2014 Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is to visit the Gulf to discuss the threat terrorist group  poses to Iraq and the region as a whole.

Sep 26, 2013 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] joined a cyber security and critical infrastructure protection trade mission to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait led by the Department of Commerce. Headed by Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez, the goal of this trade mission is to introduce U.S. firms to high-level government officials and potential partners in the Middle Eastern market.

“I’m proud to have Lockheed Martin join me for this important trade mission focused on cyber security and critical infrastructure protection,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. “Lockheed Martin offers the high-quality technology, products, and expertise that help public and private sector entities in these two critical trading partners achieve their specific cyber security and infrastructure protection goals.”

Read more

26 July 2013 airforce-technology.com/

Selex ES has completed training of the Kuwaiti Air Force pilots in operation of the helicopter integrated defensive aids system (HIDAS) at its electronic warfare operational support (EWOS) facility in Lincolnshire, UK.

The six-month training programme delivered the essential knowledge and skills that will enable the air force to customise the HIDAS system in response to the current and emerging threats.

Additionally, the training is expected to help the country start development of a national EWOS capability.

Selex ES EWOS vice-president Ramie Smith said the equipment alone does not offer the most effective solution in the fast-paced EW world.

''This training will allow our Kuwaiti customer to program their electronic warfare hardware to effectively defend against modern threats and new challenges as they emerge in the future,'' Smith said.

Specifically, the training includes a multitude of EW and EWOS basics such as EW data analysis, EW database management, EW mission support, threat vulnerability assessment, as well as EW tactics and counter-measures development, United Press International (UPI) reports.

The company is now planning to supply a broad spectrum of mission data sets to Kuwait, eventually paving way for the country to start its assessment and development of a national EW capability.

Acquired though a US foreign military sale (FMS) programme route in 2002, the HIDAS systems are currently installed onboard the Kuwaiti Air Force's AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters.

Equipped with advanced sensors and intelligent software, HIDAS has been designed to automatically detect, identify, prioritise, and counter threats to the Apache helicopter by creating a comprehensive picture of the tactical operating environment without crew intervention.

Capable of being used in automatic, semi-automatic or manual modes, the system is also installed on British military's Apache, Chinook and Puma helicopters, as well as other exported Apache helicopters.

June 1, 2013 nvonews.com

NEW DELHI, Kuwaiti ambassador to India Sami Al-Sulaiman has participated in the reception ceremony of FNS Tonnerre and FNS George Leygues-two French naval ships carrying navy cadets from Kuwaiti and other countries — that arrived in Goa yesterday as a part of the ‘Mission Jeanne D’Arc’, a Kuwait embassy statement issued to KUNA said here Saturday.

The reception was held on one of the ships, on which French cadets were embarked, including cadets from other navies.

The French Navy Jeanne d’Arc Task Group is composed of LHD Dixmude and anti-submarine destroyer Georges Leygues, five helicopters, three amphibious landing craft and about 133 cadets from the 2010 class of the French naval academy. ‘Mission Jeanne D’Arc’ began in March and is scheduled to conclude in July.

The mission has taken the naval group to Lebanon, Jordan, Djibouti, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.

This training squadron will return to France in late July 2013 after visiting many countries and participating in operational missions along its journey through the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean in the framework of cadets training, including a port call in Goa from June 1 to 5.

Feb 27, 2012 ASDNews Source : Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Feb. 24 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait of 80 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II All-Up-Round Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $105 million.

The Government of Kuwait has requested a possible sale of 80 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II All-Up-Round Missiles, 26 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles, 2 CATM-9X-2 Block II Missile Guidance Units, 8 AIM-9X-2 Block II Tactical Guidance Units, 2 Dummy Air Training Missiles, containers, missile support and test equipment, provisioning, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and other related logistics support. The estimated cost is $105 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

The Kuwait Air Force is modernizing its fighter aircraft to better support its own air defense needs. The proposed sale of AIM-9X-2 missiles will enhance Kuwait’s interoperability with the U.S. and among other Central Command nations, making it a more valuable partner in an increasingly important area of the world.

The proposed sale of this weapon system will not alter the basic military balance in the region.