The Italian Typhoons in the Persian Gulf

(To Tiziano Ciocchetti)
01/10/22

The Euro Fighter for Kuwait it is proceeding successfully and in line with the delivery plan. The acceptance activities were completed thanks to the joint commitment of representatives of Kuwait and Italy in the context of the Joint International Program Office.

The fifth and sixth Eurofighters landed yesterday in Kuwait Typhoon destined for the Kuwait Air Force, part of a larger order of 28 aircraft destined for the country's Air Force.

The transfer flight of the new ones Euro Fighter, with the pilots of the Kuwait Air Force at the controls, it was made possible thanks to the support of our Air Force which provided for the refueling in flight thanks to the use of a KC-767A tanker of the 14th base in Pratica di Mare.

Guido Sibona, head of the Eurofighter program at Leonardo said: "We are proud to deliver to our customer two more new Eurofighters, including the first single-seat aircraft, which join the aircraft already present at the new base in Salem Al Sabah which in the meantime have reached the milestone of one hundred air sorties. The Eurofighter Typhoons we have developed for the Kuwait Air Force are the most advanced ever produced under the European program. In cooperation with the Italian Air Force we are providing the country with a large air defense capability, together with the construction of state-of-the-art infrastructures for the support and maintenance of a fleet of 28 aircraft.".

One of these two aircraft was recently among the protagonists of the last edition of the Royal International Air Tattoo of Fairford in the United Kingdom which, for the first time since 1993, saw the participation of the Kuwaiti Air Force.

On that occasion, the pilot colonel, Eisa Airashidi, commander of the 7th squadron of the Kuwait Air Force, commented: "This year we are very proud to be returning Royal International Air Tattoo with the most advanced Eurofighter Typhoon in the world. Thanks to the capabilities of this platform, the Kuwait Air Force is one of the best equipped air forces in the region".

The “Eurofighter Kuwait” program is part of a broader and deeper collaboration between the Italian Air Force and the Kuwait Air Force, which includes operational activities, pilot training and support. The Air Force is ensuring, in Italy, the initial training of the engineers and technicians who will support the activities of the fleet of Typhoon in the country.

Leonardo plays a particularly important role in the evolution of the Eurofighter thanks also to the new AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar that equips the Eurofighters Typhoon destined for Kuwait, increasing the performance and competitiveness of the aircraft.

Il Typhoon benefits from a constant technological updating and improvement program, which guarantees its competitiveness throughout the entire life cycle. Constantly evolving technologies, both on board the aircraft and in the logistical support, increase its operational effectiveness, survival skills and management economy.

The Eurofighter program is the cornerstone of European aerospace and defense technology, and as such provides the industries involved with a technological leadership that will guarantee competitiveness in numerous future programs.

The program, managed by the Eurofighter GmbH consortium, is participated by Leonardo, BAE Systems and Airbus Defense & Space for Germany and Spain. On the government side, it is managed by the NATO Eurofighter & Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), set up to meet the procurement needs of the Air Forces of the four participating countries: Italy, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. In addition to the four partner countries, which have already ordered 510 Typhoon, international customers today include Saudi Arabia (72 aircraft), Austria (15), Oman (12), Kuwait (28) and Qatar (24), for a total of 661 aircraft on order.

Leonardo represents with its activities about 36% of the value of the entire program, playing a key role in aeronautical components and on-board electronics, providing over 60% of the electronic systems on board the aircraft.

In terms of employment, the Eurofighter program involves more than 100 people in Europe, of which over 20 in Italy, between direct, indirect and induced employment. Over 400 suppliers are involved in the production of the Typhoon, of which 200 in Italy.