Leonardo has delivered the first two of 28 Eurofighter Typhoons for the Kuwait Air Force. The aircraft were built by Leonardo according to the specific requirements of the Kuwaiti Air Force.
Leonardo represents about 36% of the value of the entire program with its activities, with its key role in the aeronautical components and the on-board electronics. Leonardo also plays a key role in the evolution of the Eurofighter thanks to the new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that equips the Eurofighter Typhoons for Kuwait, which increases the aircraft’s performance and competitiveness.
“This is an excellent operation for Italy, demonstrating the success of Italian products abroad and an important step towards consolidating the position of Italian industry in the world. Defense is a stimulus for the development of innovative and increasingly advanced technological solutions”, Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini stated after the delivery of Kuwait’s first two Eurofighter Typhoons.
The delivery of these first two aircraft takes place in the year of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Italian-Kuwaiti relations.
Alessandro Profumo, Chief Executive Officer of Leonardo, said, “The Eurofighter Typhoons we have developed and produced for the Kuwait Air Force are the most advanced in the whole history of the European program. We will provide the country with an impressive air defense capability. In cooperation with the Italian Air Force, we trained their pilots in our training centers in Italy, we built state-of-the-art infrastructures to support and maintain a fleet of 28 aircraft. The milestones we are celebrating are the result of the effective cooperation between the two countries, where Institutions, Armed Forces and Industry have worked together in synergy.”
The two Kuwaiti Eurofighters flew from Italy, where they were assembled, with a refueling escort provided by two Italian air force KC-767 tankers from the Pratica di Mare 14th Squadron and two Eurofighters from the Grosseto 4th Squadron Fighters.
Together with Leonardo Test Pilots, some instructors from the Italian Air Force will support the initial training of Kuwaiti pilots and the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) growth at Al Salem base.
The Eurofighter aircraft benefits from a program of technological updating and improvement that guarantees its competitiveness throughout its entire lifecycle. Constantly evolving technologies, both on board the aircraft and in the context of logistical support, increase its operational effectiveness, survivability, and efficient management. The Eurofighter program is a cornerstone in the development of European aerospace and defense technologies and provides the industries involved with technological leadership that will guarantee competitiveness for many next generation programs.
The Eurofighter program is managed by the Eurofighter GmbH consortium, a company based in Munich, Germany, owned by Leonardo, BAE Systems and Airbus Defence & Space for Germany and Spain. On the government side, the program is managed by the NATO Eurofighter & Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), which was set up to meet the procurement needs of the air forces from the four participating countries: Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain.
In addition to the four partner countries, which have already ordered 510 Typhoons, international customers now include Saudi Arabia (72 aircraft), Austria (15), Oman (12), Kuwait (28) and Qatar (24) – a total of 661 ordered planes.
