The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified US Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of Patriot advanced capability (PAC-3) missiles and associated equipment to Kuwait.
Under the estimated $4.2bn FMS programme, Kuwait has requested a total of 60 PAC-3 missiles, along with four Patriot radars, four engagement control stations, 20 launching stations, two information coordination centrals and ten electric power plants.
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Additional items in the proposed package includes communication and power equipment, personnel training and equipment, spare and repair parts, as well as logistics personnel services.
The potential sale will enable the country, which already has PAC-3s, to improve its missile defence capability further, strengthen its homeland defence, and counter increasing and emerging regional threats.
The sale will boost Kuwait’s interoperability with the US and its allies, as well as contributing to the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to improve the security of its Middle Eastern ally.
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will serve as principal contractors for the FMS programme.
PAC-3 is an advanced, hit-to-kill air defence missile designed to defeat incoming tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), cruise missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by direct, body-to-body impact.
The high/medium surface-to-air guided missile features a solid propellant rocket motor, aerodynamic controls, attitude control motors, inertial guidance for navigation, and a track-via-missile (TVM) guidance system to transmit target data to the engagement control station for final course correction calculations.
Patriot is currently in service with the US, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
Image: A US Army PAC-3 missile launcher, situated in Southwest Asia. Photo: courtesy of tech Sgt Michelle Larche.
