The Italian military attaché to the country, Colonel Salvatore Ferrara, revealed that Kuwait is scheduled to receive the fourth batch of Eurofighter aircraft either before the year ends or in early January, according to a local daily. Ferrara stated that according to the agreement, the delivery is supposed to take place at the end of December, but the matter may be delayed a little, indicating that the fourth batch consists of three aircrafts, and that the plan is to complete the entire fleet of 28 aircrafts in 2024.
In addition, Ferrera referred to the depth and strength of the military and security cooperation relations between Italy and Kuwait, pointing to the meeting of the chiefs of staff of the two countries last November, where they agreed to increase the scope and volume of bilateral cooperation activities, including training, exercises and procurement.
He added that in the spring of 2023, the Kuwaiti armed forces will be invited to participate in the joint military exercises and large-scale exercises that take place in Italy every year, called Joint Stars 23. He said that at the present time, the Second Air Force meets on a regular basis to cooperate in building the operational capacity of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, revealing that the Kuwaiti National Guard and the Carabinieri (Italian Military Police) will soon sign an agreement to enhance their cooperation.
He further stated that the Italian Defense is looking forward to more joint activities even with the Kuwaiti Navy, and finally one of the most recent Italian ships (PPA Thaon di Revel) visited Kuwait and more Italian ships in the future will visit the country. He talked about the joint agreements between the two countries, indicating that there are various joint agreements in various sectors, but there is a common will to expand cooperation further, and at the present time, Kuwait hosts one of the largest Italian military units abroad, which operates within the framework of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Ferrara also said that there are about 500 Italian soldiers between Ali Al-Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan, and they manage six different task groups. Italy is part of the coalition fighting against ISIS in order to restore stability in the region.
Moreover, Ferrara said that in order to contribute to the air defense within the coalition and with the Kuwaiti air defense, the Italian unit has integrated the Ground Base Air Defense System (SAMP-T). In a joint command and control center, along with Kuwaiti and American assets, so that a joint and coordinated response can be achieved to counter any potential risks.
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