Kuwait has taken delivery of its latest pair of Leonardo-assembled Eurofighter Typhoons, including the first single-seat example to have been received by the Gulf state.
The arrivals take its current fleet of the European type to six airframes, from a 28-unit order.
Announcing the deliveries – completed on 28 September – the Italian airframer said its production programme for Kuwait “is progressing as expected”. The order comprises 22 single- and six two-seat Typhoons.
“We are proud to deliver to our customer two more new Eurofighters, including the first single-seater aircraft,” says Guido Sibona, vice-president of Leonardo’s Eurofighter programme. “They join the aircraft already in service at the new Salem Al Sabah base which in the meantime have reached the milestone of 100 air sorties.”
Leonardo notes that the Italian air force, which provided in-flight refuelling support for the transfer using a Boeing KC-767 tanker, also is delivering initial training “of the engineers and technicians who will support the activities of the Typhoon fleet in-country”.
Kuwait follows Gulf Co-operation Council partners Oman and Saudi Arabia in introducing the multi-role Typhoon, while Qatar also is due to field its first of 24 BAE Systems-assembled examples later this year.
