Kuwait is buying 28 Typhoon warplanes, the Eurofighter consortium said in a statement Friday.
The communique did not give financial details about the purchase, which press reports earlier said was a multi-billion-dollar deal.
According to Lebanese sources familiar with the project estimated the deal at 8-9 billion Dollars.
The multi-billion-euro deal will upgrade Kuwait’s air force against the backdrop of increased regional tensions.
Kuwait is upgrading its airforce amid security concerns in the region linked to Iran’s expansionist policies and the rise of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” (IS) group .
Eurofighter is a partnership between Italy’s Finmeccanica, Britain’s BAE Systems and civilian planemaker Airbus. The total number of the aircraft sold rises to 599 with the Kuwait deal.
Kuwait will be the third country in the Middle East, and the eighth country overall to operate the aircraft. Oman ordered 12 Eurofighter Typhoons in December 2012 and Saudi Arabia has the fighter jets in its air force.
The Typhoon first went into service in late 2003 and 444 aircraft have been delivered to six nations: Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia.
Kuwait had been expected to make a deal for Boeing’s Super Hornet F18s. Sources close to the deal told AFP that some Super Hornets might still be bought as well as the Typhoon planes.
The Rafale jet built by French firm Dassault Aviation has deals with Egypt and Qatar.
With DW/Agencies
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