Kuwait's future fleet of Typhoons remains on track for introduction from 2019, with the first major parts now in production by the Eurofighter partner companies.
"Production activities have begun, in order to comply with the contract and customer expectations," the Eurofighter consortium says. Kuwait signed for 28 of the multirole type – including six two-seat trainers – in 2016 and Italy's Leonardo is lead partner for the sale.
Detailing the programme's status ahead of the 12-14 December Gulf Defence & Aerospace exhibition in Kuwait, Leonardo said production activities are on track, "and, in some cases, ahead of schedule". This includes current work on wing skins, while "the first rear section fuselage is going to start the 'Stage 2' assembly phase in early 2018", it adds.
Eurofighter
Infrastructure work in Kuwait ahead of the new type's arrival is also under way, says Eurofighter, with construction work having commenced in August 2017.
Once operational, the Typhoon will provide a significant increase in capability for the Kuwait air force, which Flight Fleets Analyzer records as currently operating 34 Boeing F/A-18C/Ds, aged between 24 and 26 years.
The service's new type will be fitted with the Euroradar consortium's Captor-E active electronically scanned array radar, Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod, plus precision-guided weapons including MBDA's Brimstone air-to-surface missile and Storm Shadow cruise missile.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
