Kuwait’s Typhoon multirole fighter now flies

The first two Eurofighter Typhoons for the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) made their inaugural flights on October 15 at the airfield of the Leonardo Caselle factory near Turin, in northwest Italy . Both planes were two-seaters – the Kuwaiti order of 28 aircraft will include six two-seat trainers – and were painted in full KAF insignia, with a toned down Air Force crest and a full-color Kuwaiti flag on the tail, but with Italian experimental serial numbers.

When they enter service, the KAF Typhoons will be the most advanced examples of the type. They will be the first delivered to the new standard Phase 3 Enhancements Package b (P3Eb), and the first to be fitted with the initial production version of the AESA Captor E radar, now known as ECRS Mk 0, and previously known under the name of Radar. One more. The ECRS Mk 0 radar delivers significantly more power than competing AESA radar systems, while the advanced antenna repositioner provides a much wider field of view covering the entire front hemisphere.

The Kuwaiti Entry-into-Service Standard (EIS) represents the first phase of P3Eb and includes the new E-scan radar (with an EIS capability level), the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod with downlink, VOR navigation capability and a ACMI P5 pod (provide real-time training for air-to-air artillery, IRIS-T and AMRAAM C7). Weapons will include a range of free-fall bombs (Mk 82, 83 and 84), IRIS-T and AIM-120C7 AMRAAM, and the aircraft will have initial Meteor long-range missile training capability. This Kuwaiti configuration was developed and tested in Italy using the Typhoon Instrumented Series Production Aircraft (ISPA) 6, which made its maiden flight on December 23, 2019.

Subsequently, an improved KAF standard will be introduced, with improved E-scan radar, full Meteor capability, GBU-31 JDAM precision guided bombs, enhanced sniper (full capability) and improved pod. P5 ACMI. The capability set for Kuwait also includes the integration of MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Brimstone air-to-surface missiles. The Storm Shadow will provide a long-range distancing capability that the United States refuses to provide with the Super Hornet.

Kuwait’s interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon arose in 2012 when a pair of Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons from 4 Stormo Squadron were deployed to Kuwait for evaluation. A memorandum of understanding followed in September 2015 and an $ 8.7 billion contract for 28 aircraft was signed with Finmeccanica (now Leonardo) in April 2016. This included the infrastructure associated with the airbase of Ali Al-Salem, training, logistics and a set of three-year support services (with an option for an additional five years).

Kuwait thus became the eighth customer of the Eurofighter Typhoon after the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia and Oman, and the third customer in the region of Gulf. Qatar subsequently signed a $ 6.8 billion deal for 24 typhoons, and Saudi Arabia reportedly reached a tentative deal for a further 48 typhoons, at an estimated cost of $ 13 billion.

The first Kuwaiti Typhoon began final assembly in October 2018, and the first seven Kuwaiti pilots completed their Italian Air Force flight training course on July 5, 2020. Kuwait was initially scheduled to receive its first batch Eurofighters in the fourth quarter of 2020, with deliveries due to be completed in 2023. The first deliveries will now be made before the end of this year.

KAF is undertaking a major modernization and extension of its hunting arm and, in addition to the entry into service of the Eurofighter Typhoon, KAF will replace 39 F / A-18C / D “legacy” Hornets with 28 F / A- 18E / F Super Hornet (composed of 22 F / A-18E single-seaters and six F / A-18F two-seaters).