US Greenlights $800m Patriot Air Defence Sustainment Deal for Kuwait

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Washington: The U.S. Department of State has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Kuwait valued at approximately $800 million for PATRIOT Program sustainment and follow-on technical support, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

Under the proposed agreement, Kuwait will procure a broad package of equipment, services and logistics support designed to enhance the readiness and long-term operational effectiveness of its existing Patriot air-and-missile defence systems. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the pending sale on the same day.

The package includes spare and repair parts, surveillance firing activities, stockpile reliability efforts, and support for Patriot PAC-3 Missile Support Centres (P3MSC). It also covers operator and maintenance support, test program set development, technical documentation and training equipment, as well as U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics services. According to the official announcement, the proposed sale will further U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of Kuwait, a key partner and major non-NATO ally in the Middle East. The enhanced sustainment and support is intended to help Kuwait maintain higher levels of operational readiness and meet evolving security challenges.

Principal U.S. defence contractors expected to participate in the program include RTX Corporation, Lockheed Martin, LEIDOS, Inc., and KBR. The implementation plan may involve a contingent of U.S. Government personnel and contractor representatives to provide on-site technical support and familiarization.

The State Department noted that the proposed sale will not alter the basic military balance in the region and that Kuwait is fully capable of integrating the support services into its armed forces.

The announcement underscores the ongoing strategic defence cooperation between the United States and Kuwait, particularly in the realm of air and missile defence amid persistent regional security concerns.