The US Department of State has authorised a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Kuwait, involving the provision of an Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and associated equipment, with an estimated value of $2.5bn.
Kuwait’s government seeks to procure a range of items, including six dismounted IBCS engagement operations centres (EOCs), two hosted IBCS EOCs, six dismounted IBCS integrated collaborative environments (ICEs), and two hosted IBCS ICEs.
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Additional items include 14 mounted integrated fire unit modification kits, 35 launcher integrated network kits on enhanced launcher electronic system kits, and 24 identification, friend or foe encryptors.
The package also covers non-major defence equipment items including communications equipment, tools, support and test equipment, generators, vehicles, transportation, technical documents and publications, and training equipment.
It further encompasses spare and repair parts, personnel training, technical assistance field teams, US government and contractor services, IBCS Phase 2 planning and support, systems integration, field office assistance, and other logistics support elements.
Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, and Lockheed Martin have been appointed as the primary contractors for the FMS.
The potential deal has been waived of Congressional review requirements under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, after the Secretary of State provided “detailed justification” that an emergency exists requiring the immediate sale of these defence articles and services to Kuwait in the national security interests of the US.
The US Department of State noted this transaction is designed to strengthen US foreign policy and national security interests by supporting “a major non-NATO ally that has been an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”
The sale aims to bolster Kuwait’s ability to address present and future threats, particularly with the inclusion of advanced air defence detection and a layered defence capability through integration with the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence sensor radar system and IBCS command and control.
The Department of State also assessed that Kuwait will be able to integrate the system and related services into its military forces without difficulty.
This latest approval follows the US authorisation in March this year of an FMS to Kuwait valued at approximately $8 billion, which included Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor (LTAMDS) radars, Large Tactical Power Systems (LTPS), and frequency converters.
