Kuwait plans to order 28 Super Hornet advanced fighter jets worth $3 billion from Boeing, a source said yesterday (May 7).

The order for the F/A-18E/F multirole aircraft marks an important victory for Boeing over European rivals, which had been pitching the Eurofighter Typhoon to the Gulf country, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The move would beef up Kuwait's air force, as the country takes part in the Saudi-led coalition attacking Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The deal still requires official approval of the US government, which strictly controls foreign defence sales. But Kuwait has signed a letter of intent, and it could be officially confirmed in the coming days, possibly as President Barack Obama hosts Gulf leaders in Washington next week.

Boeing won the order from Kuwait over the Eurofighter pitched by the European consortium BAE Systems, Airbus Defence and Space, and Finmeccanica.

The Kuwait deal, along with an expected US Navy order for 12 Super Hornets, would keep open Boeing's F/A-18 assembly line in St. Louis, Missouri, which is facing a shutdown for lack of orders. - TradeArabia News Service