The US State Department has approved a potential $425m (Kd131.8m) foreign military sale (FMS) of the Patriot Post-Deployment Build (PDB) 8.1 and associated equipment to Kuwait.
Kuwait seeks to procure services that include delivery, installation, and upgrading of the Patriot PDB 8.1.
This proposed sale aligns with US foreign policy and national security objectives, supporting the infrastructure of a significant non-Nato ally that contributes to political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
It aims to enhance Kuwait’s ability to respond to current and future threats, maintain high operational readiness, and achieve its modernisation and professionalisation objectives.
The Patriot system is a mobile air and missile defence platform, equipped with C-band phased-array radars for target detection and discrimination.
It features a combination of interceptors including the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3, Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE), and PAC-2 variants.
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By GlobalDataThe sale package also includes a range of non-major defence equipment (MDE) items such as software development, sustainment maintenance, spare parts, training, and logistical support services, among others.
RTX has been named the principal contractor. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has officially notified Congress of this potential sale.
In a statement, DSCA said that the integration of these systems and services into Kuwait’s armed forces is expected to proceed without difficulty.
GlobalData’s report states that Kuwait’s defence budget is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% over the forecast period, reaching $7.5bn by 2029.
The acquisition budget for 2024 is $819.4m and is projected to rise to $1.5bn by 2029, reflecting a CAGR of 7% over the forecast period.
During the historical period (2020–2024), Kuwait spent $31.8bn, while over the forecast period (2025–2029), it is expected to spend $35.3bn.
The Missile Defense Agency (and the US Army completed a Developmental Test Flight Test Other (FTX)-39 in October 2019 using PDB-8.0.6 software.
This test aimed to demonstrate a simulated engagement against a short-range ballistic missile, leveraging THAAD data for Patriot’s launch capabilities.
In 2019, Raytheon announced the incorporation of a 3D gamer-style interface into the PDB-8.1 system.
