Kuwait plans to order 28 advanced Boeing fighter jets
Kuwait plans to buy advanced fighter jets from the American corporation, Boeing, in a bid to beef up its air force.
The Persian Gulf monarchy has decided to purchase up to 28 F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet strike fighters worth USD 3 billion from Boeing, The Associated Press quoted an unnamed source as saying on Thursday.
Kuwait has already signed a letter of intent, but the agreement still needs the official confirmation of the US administration to be finalized.
"We defer to the US government for any details on foreign military sales," said Boeing spokeswoman, Caroline Hutcheson.
The prospective sales would be of great help to the American company whose F/A-18 assembly line in St. Louis, Missouri, is on the verge of shutdown due to lack of orders.
"A near-term international order, along with Congressional funding for twelve US Navy Super Hornets this year, would allow the company to continue delivering aircraft without a break in the production line,” Hutcheson said.
The deal is expected to be finalized next week when leaders of the six Arab member states of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar - are scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington.
Kuwait is one the countries which assists the Saudi regime in its deadly aggression against the Yemeni people.
The country currently operates a fleet of earlier-generation F/A-18 Hornets in its air force.
Boeing is competing with the European consortium, BAE Systems, Airbus Defense and Space, and Italy's Finmeccanica to win some other contracts in Denmark, Canada, Malaysia and Belgium.
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