US approves $400M deal to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot air defenses
The planned recertification marks Washington’s latest show of military support for Gulf Arab states, as the US prepares for a potential confrontation with Iran over its nuclear enrichment program.
The US State Department has notified Congress on Thursday of plans to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot missile air defense systems for an estimated $400 million
The contract covers Kuwait’s request to upgrade its PAC-2 Guidance Enhancement Missiles (GEM) and “recertify” its Guidance Enhancement Missiles-Tactical (GEM-Ts). The primary contractor will be the RTX Corporation, the statement read.
Why it matters: The planned upgrade to Kuwait’s Patriots is among the first tangible signs that the Trump administration intends to continue efforts to integrate Arab states’ air defense networks as a defensive bulwark against Iran’s more advanced ballistic missile and drone arsenals.
Last month, the State Department signed off on $100 million in APKWS air-to-air missiles for the Royal Saudi Air Force. US pilots have pioneered the deployment of APKWS to shoot down airborne attack drones in the ongoing campaign against Yemen’s Iran-armed Houthi rebels.
