Home Air Kuwait approved for $4.2B Apache, Patriot missile system equipment buy

Kuwait approved for $4.2B Apache, Patriot missile system equipment buy

Kuwait Air Force AH-64 Apache helicopter
US Army file photo of a Kuwait Air Force AH-64 Apache helicopter.

Kuwait has received approval to buy eight new AH-64E Apache helicopters and upgrade its existing AH-64D Apaches to the newer configuration in a potential sale worth an estimated $4 billion.

The US State Department notified the US Congress of its decision to approve the sale on December 29.

In addition to buying eight new AH-64Es and remanufacturing 16 AH-64Ds to the AH-64E configuration, the government of Kuwait has requested new and remanufactured T700-GE 701D engines, counter missile warning systems, embedded global position systems with inertial navigation (EGI) and other radar systems and sensors.

Also included in the request were M299 AGM-114 Hellfire missile launchers, Hydra 70 rocket launchers, and 30mm chain guns, among other equipment.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, and Raytheon would be among the contractors responsible for the potential delivery of the equipment.

“The proposed sale of the AH-64E Apache helicopters will supplement and improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing Kuwait’s close air support, armed reconnaissance, and antitank warfare mission capabilities,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

Patriot Configuration 3+ system spares

In another notice on the same day, the US State Department approved $200 million worth of system spares for Kuwait’s Patriot Configuration 3+ missile systems. The potential sale follows another one approved in May this year, which authorized $1,42 billion in upgrades of the missile systems.

The $1,42 billion price tag included 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile segment enhancements (MSEs) which include a hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 missile canisters (in four packs), a fire solution computer and an enhanced launcher electronics system.