Boeing lands new contract for Kuwait Super Hornet fighter jets production


Boeing yesterday landed a further US$1.5 billion contract that provides for the production and delivery of 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets in support of the government of Kuwait.


Boeing lands new contract for Kuwait Super Hornet fighter jets production 001 A rendering of the Boeing Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, equipped with new radar and updated cockpit and communication systems
(Credit: Boeing Defense)


Work will be mainly performed in El Segundo, California and Hazelwood, Missouri and is expected to be completed in January 2021. "The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity," the US DoD added.

Boeing and Kuwait finalized the long-awaited deal for 28 Super Hornets on March 2018 with a first contract worth US$1.2 billion. The US State Department in November 2016 approved a Foreign Military Sale for up to 40 aircraft in a sale then estimated to up to US$ 10.1 billion. The FMS included Lockheed Martin AAQ-33 Sniper and Raytheon ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pods, as well as the Raytheon APG-79 AESA radar.

The combat-proven F/A-18E/F Super Hornet delivers cutting-edge next generation multi-role strike fighter capability that is available today, outdistancing current and emerging threats well into the future. 

The Super Hornet has the capability, flexibility and performance necessary to modernize the air or naval aviation forces of any country. Built by the industry team of Boeing, Northrop Grumman, GE Aircraft Engines, Raytheon and more than 1,900 suppliers nationwide, the Super Hornet provides the warfighter with today’s newest advances in multimission capability and growth for decades to come in missions, roles and technology.