KUWAIT CITY, AprI 3: Italian Military Attachè to Kuwait Colonel Salvatore Ferrara praised the diplomatic relations and military cooperation between his country and Kuwait, reports Al-Qabas daily. He made the statement during the recent celebration of the centenary of the Italian Air Force; which was founded on March 28, 1923. He then revealed that the delivery of the Eurofighter aircraft to Kuwait is supposed to be completed by the end of 2024, according to the standard program for the entire fleet.

He added: “In December 2021, the Kuwaiti Air Force received the first two planes followed by four more planes. At the beginning of March, a technical agreement was signed by the Kuwait Air Force, Joint International Program Office and Leonardo Company to start local training with a four-pilot course.” He stated that the program is moving towards more important goals, which will give the Kuwaiti Armed Forces the experience and knowledge to operate independently in one of the most capable combat aircraft available on the global market.

He went on to say that “the military cooperation between the two countries is a result of the Italian intervention in the coalition that fought for the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 according to a United Nations resolution. In the aftermath of the war, relations intensified in many sectors; but with special focus on defense cooperation, which culminated in the signing of a governmental agreement along with the Memorandum of Understanding in 2003.” He stressed that “this memorandum paved way for the exchange of training and educational courses, as some Kuwaiti students joined the Italian military academies, and the Ministry of Defense in Kuwait sought procurement opportunities in the Italian industrial sector, which is worldrenowned.

In 2014, the intensification of the fight against terrorist organizations led to the establishment of a new alliance, operating in the Middle East, with its forces partially stationed in Kuwait. Because of the special relationship, Italy deployed a military unit in Kuwait in 2014 with about 150 forces. Over time, the Italian military unit has grown in numbers and operational capabilities, and now we have six different mission groups. Today, the Kuwaiti Armed Forces can rely on the latest Sky Guard missile defense system (a laserbased air defense system), which is supplied by many other countries.”