Kuwait has taken delivery of its first two Eurofighter Typhoons. The Tranche 3A aircraft, both twin-seaters, were flown to Kuwait on December 14, still wearing temporarily taped on Italian test serials M.T.55243 and M.T.55244, having previously been test flying as CSX55243 and CSX55244.
In-flight refuelling support for the delivery flight was provided by a pair of Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI – Italian Air Force) KC-767A tankers, (MM)62229 ‘14-04’ plus one unidentified, both from 14° Storm/8° Gruppo at Pratica di Mare. They were escorted by two AMI Eurofighters from 4° Stormo at Grosseto.
They had been formally handed over to the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) at Leonardo’s facility in Turin-Caselle, Italy, on December 7. Both had made their maiden flights from Caselle on the same day, October 15. The KAF has ordered 28 of the type, comprising eight twin-seaters and 22 single-seat aircraft. The weapons package for the type will include Brimstone and Storm Shadow air-to-ground weapons, while equipment fit will include Captor E-scan radar and the Lockheed Martin Sniper laser designation pod.
