Kuwait Air Force
The Kuwait Air Force (القوات الجوية الكويتية) began in 1953 as a handful of Austers and Doves, grew into a British-equipped jet force after independence in 1961, got most of its Mirage F1s and A-4 Skyhawks out to Saudi Arabia when Iraq invaded on 2 August 1990 and flew them back over Kuwait in 1991 — and in 2026, with Typhoons in service and Super Hornets late, it was fighting its first real war since then, under Iranian missile and drone attack.
The Kuwait Air Force story: British jets after independence, an escape south in 1990 and a new Gulf war in 2026
1953–1961: Austers, Doves and a security force air wing
Kuwaiti military flying began inside the police. Wikipedia’s history of the service dates it to 1953, when the Directorate of Public Security Force split from the army under Field Marshal Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah, whose name the air force headquarters at Kuwait International Airport still carries. The first equipment was modest: Austers in several versions and two de Havilland DH.104 Doves, light liaison and transport aircraft suited to a small, oil-rich sheikhdom under British protection. The first aircraft generally counted as true air force types were four Westland Whirlwind helicopters and six Hunting Jet Provost T.51 armed jet trainers. Two de Havilland Canada Caribou transports followed in 1963. Exact delivery dates for the earliest aircraft were not confirmed in the sources checked for this page, and the 1953 date is Wikipedia’s; an official Kuwaiti account of the founding could not be reached.
1961–1977: independence, Operation Vantage and the British jets
Independence in June 1961 changed the scale of the problem. Days later Iraq’s leader Abd al-Karim Qasim announced that Kuwait would be incorporated into Iraq, and Britain answered with Operation Vantage: by 1 July half a brigade group was in Kuwait, with RAF Canberras photographing the border and Hawker Hunters on hand, until the Arab League took over and the British left by 19 October. Wikipedia records that the Kuwaiti air arm expanded alongside that intervention. British types followed: the first Hawker Hunters in 1964, with more in 1969; 14 English Electric Lightnings ordered in December 1966 and delivered from December 1968; and 12 BAC Strikemasters in 1969. The Lightning was a poor fit. Wikipedia’s account says Kuwait overestimated its ability to maintain so complex an aircraft without the contractor support Saudi Arabia used, serviceability suffered, and the fleet was retired in 1977 after a failed attempt to sell it to Egypt.
1974–1990: Mirage F1 and Skyhawk, after a border clash
The replacements came from France and the United States. Following a border clash with Iraq, Kuwait ordered Dassault Mirage F1s in 1974 — 33 in the first batch, delivered between 1975 and 1977, with a second batch delivered until 1983 — and in November 1974 announced the purchase of 36 new McDonnell Douglas A-4KU and TA-4KU Skyhawks, all delivered by the end of 1978. Helicopters were French: 24 SA342K Gazelles in the mid-1970s, then Pumas and Super Pumas. Lockheed L-100 Hercules transports arrived in 1971 and 1983, and twelve BAe Hawk 64 trainers were ordered on 31 October 1983 and delivered in 1985–1986. Forty F/A-18C/D Hornets were ordered in 1988. On the eve of the invasion the Library of Congress country study, reproduced by GlobalSecurity, put the air force at about 2,200 personnel, excluding foreigners, with about eighty combat aircraft and more than forty French-built helicopters.
2 August 1990: the invasion, the highways and the escape south
When Iraq invaded on 2 August 1990, a delay in Iraqi air attacks let Kuwaiti aircraft get airborne. The country study records Kuwaiti A-4s attacking Republican Guard divisions between 05:00 and 06:00. Iraqi air-scattered mines closed the runways at Ahmad al-Jaber, so returning Mirage F1s and Skyhawks landed on nearby roads; Ali Al Salem, the last base to fall, was held for a day while pilots flew resupply missions from Saudi Arabia, and was overrun by nightfall on 3 August. Wikipedia’s invasion article estimates that about 20 per cent of the air force was lost or captured and 80 per cent reached Saudi Arabia and Bahrain; its air campaign article counts 12 fixed-wing aircraft destroyed on the ground and eight helicopters lost, six of them shot down. The Mirage F1 article lists Kuwaiti claims of 13 Puma or Mi-8 helicopters, two Gazelles, two Mi-24s, two Su-22M4s, a MiG-21 and an Il-76 that day. These are Kuwaiti claims as reported by Wikipedia; Iraqi figures were not found.
1991–2015: Desert Storm, the Hornet and the Yemen war
In exile the survivors flew as the Free Kuwait Air Force. Wikipedia’s Skyhawk article says 24 of the 29 A-4KUs still in service escaped and, with the Mirage F1s, flew 1,361 sorties during the liberation, losing one A-4KU to an Iraqi radar-guided missile on 17 January 1991; the country study says Kuwait flew the most sorties of the Gulf states. Wikipedia’s invasion article contradicts both, saying the evacuated aircraft were not used in the Gulf War but patrolled Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen. Coalition bombing left Kuwait’s two air bases in rubble, with nearly all of their 50 hardened shelters destroyed. Rebuilding meant the Hornet, delivered from October 1991 to August 1993; the Skyhawks went to Brazil in 1998, and the Mirages were withdrawn. Kuwaiti jets flew over Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, and in 2015 Kuwait joined the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen; Wikipedia, citing the air force commander in February 2017, says Kuwaiti Hornets flew about 3,000 sorties from King Khalid Air Base.
2016–2026: Typhoon, Super Hornet delays and the 2026 Iran war
The modern fleet was ordered in 2015–2018 and arrived slowly. Kuwait signed for 28 Eurofighter Typhoons in April 2016, the launch customer for the Captor-E radar; the first two flew from Leonardo’s Caselle plant to Kuwait on 14 December 2021 and six had arrived by September 2022. Boeing won the order for 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets in June 2018, due by 2022; by August 2025 Defence Blog reported deliveries slipping to 2026, with service in 2027–2028, which in turn stalled the sale of Kuwait’s old Hornets to Malaysia. Thirty H225M Caracals were bought in 2016. Then war came back. From 1 March 2026 Iran struck Kuwait with missiles and drones in retaliation for the US and Israeli attack on Iran; that night, CENTCOM said, three US F-15Es were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences. The Wall Street Journal later reported, citing unnamed sources, that a Kuwaiti F/A-18 fired the missiles. All six American crew survived.
The Kuwait Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- القوات الجوية الكويتيةArabic: al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya, as given by English Wikipedia. The Ministry of Defence site did not render for this check, so the official spelling could not be compared
- Opgericht
- 1953As the air wing of the Directorate of Public Security Force under Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah, per Wikipedia. It expanded after independence in June 1961 and the British Operation Vantage
- Onderdeel van
- Kuwait Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff; Wikipedia articles disagree on who holds that post in 2026
- Hoofdkwartier
- Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air BasePart of the Kuwait International Airport complex, about 15.5 km south of Kuwait City; also home of the Kuwait Air Force Museum
- Commandant
- Niet bevestigdNo official page naming the air force commander could be reached; left out as UNVERIFIED
- Lineage
- Public Security air wing (1953), Kuwait Air Force; Free Kuwait Air Force in exile 1990–1991The exiled force flew from Saudi Arabia during the Iraqi occupation
Kracht
- Personeel
- Ongeveer 2.500Jane’s World Air Forces as quoted by Wikipedia. About 2,200 in 1990 (Library of Congress study); about 1,000 immediately after the 1991 war (Wikipedia, uncited)
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
-
- Eurofighter Typhoon — 20 per Wikipedia (28 ordered)
- F/A-18C/D Hornet — 27 C and 7 D per Wikipedia, being retired
The 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets ordered in 2018 had not entered Kuwaiti service when last reported (Defence Blog, August 2025). Counts are Wikipedia’s and were not confirmed by IISS or FlightGlobal for this page
- Vervoer
-
- KC-130J Hercules — 3
- C-17A Globemaster III — 2
First C-17 handed over at Long Beach on 13 February 2014
- Helikopters
-
- H225M Caracal — 30 bought in 2016 (some for the National Guard and naval use)
- AH-64D Apache — 16
- SA342 Gazelle — 13
- SA330 Puma — 6
- AS332 Super Puma — 5
- S-92 — 4 (VIP)
Wikipedia inventory; its table puts four Caracals with the Naval Force and six with the National Guard
- Trainers
-
- BAE Hawk 64 — 6 (12 delivered 1985–86)
The Short Tucano T.52 served from 1995 to 2025 per Wikipedia; F/A-18D two-seaters double as conversion trainers
- Grondgebonden luchtverdediging
- MIM-104 PatriotIn service since 1997 per Wikipedia, which places it under the air force
- Defensie-uitgaven
- 7.1 per cent of GDP (2023)Wikipedia figure; not checked against SIPRI
Infrastructuur
- Luchtbases
-
- Ahmad al-Jaber (OKAJ) — Hornets
- Ali Al Salem (OKAS) — helicopters, flying school, Typhoon facilities
- Abdullah Al-Mubarak, Kuwait International Airport (OKKK) — headquarters
Units as listed by Wikipedia and The Aviationist; current dispositions beyond these published reports are not given
- Buitenlandse strijdkrachten
- US air expeditionary wings at both main basesThe 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at Ali Al Salem and, from May 2016, the 332nd at Ahmad al-Jaber, per Wikipedia
- Versterkte schuilplaatsen
- About 50 in 1990Nearly all destroyed by coalition bombing in 1991, per Wikipedia
- Typhoon infrastructure
- Completed late 2020New runway works and hangars at Ali Al Salem for 28 Eurofighters, per Wikipedia
- 2026 attacks
- Ali Al Salem attackedAli Al Salem was hit by an Iranian drone on 6 April 2026 (15 Americans wounded) and by missile debris on 30 May 2026, per Wikipedia
How the Kuwait Air Force is organised
One air force within the Kuwait Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Kuwait International Airport and two main air bases, Ahmad al-Jaber and Ali Al Salem. The front line is the Eurofighter Typhoon, 20 of 28 delivered per Wikipedia, and the F/A-18C/D Hornet of 9 and 25 Squadrons, which is being retired while 28 Super Hornets ordered in 2018 run late. Helicopters, the flying school and Hawk 64 trainers share Ali Al Salem, and Wikipedia places the Patriot air defence system under the air force.
Kuwait Air Force
Part of the Kuwait Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, with its headquarters and the Kuwait Air Force Museum on the military side of Kuwait International Airport. The current commander could not be confirmed on an official page, and Wikipedia’s articles disagree on who is Chief of the General Staff: the Kuwait Air Force article names Lt Gen Mohammed Khaled Al-Khadher, the Kuwait Armed Forces article Bandar Salem Abdullah Al-Muzayan.
Typhoon squadron
Kuwait signed for 28 Eurofighter Typhoons in April 2016 as launch customer for the Captor-E radar; the first two flew from Leonardo’s Caselle plant on 14 December 2021, and Wikipedia counts 20 delivered and eight to come. The Aviationist names the operator 7 Squadron and placed it at what it called "Salem Al Sabah air base", taken to mean Ali Al Salem, where new hangars for 28 Eurofighters were completed by 2020.
9 and 25 Squadrons
Wikipedia places the 40 F/A-18C/D Hornets delivered from October 1991 to August 1993 with 9 and 25 Squadrons; 27 C and 7 D remain, being retired. Their replacements, 22 F/A-18Es and six F/A-18Fs ordered in June 2018, had not entered Kuwaiti service when last reported, and Wikipedia says Malaysia cancelled its purchase of the old Hornets in February 2026.
Transport and tanker fleet
Three KC-130J Hercules tankers, first due in late 2013, and two C-17A Globemaster IIIs, the first handed over at Long Beach on 13 February 2014, according to Wikipedia and Boeing. Which squadron flies them and from which base is not stated in the sources for this page.
Helicopter squadrons
Wikipedia lists the 32nd Helicopter Squadron with Super Pumas and attack and support helicopter squadrons at Ali Al Salem. The fleet comprises 16 AH-64D Apaches, handed over from 3 February 2006, the H225M Caracals of a 30-helicopter order of August 2016, 13 Gazelles, six Pumas, five Super Pumas and four VIP S-92s; eight AH-64Es are on order.
Flight Training School
The flying school shares Ali Al Salem with the helicopters, per Wikipedia, which places the six remaining BAe Hawk 64s, of twelve delivered in 1985–1986, with 12 Training Squadron there. The Short Tucano basic trainer served from 1995 to 2025, and F/A-18D two-seaters double as conversion trainers.
Patriot air defence
Wikipedia places the MIM-104 Patriot, in service since 1997, under the air force. Where its batteries are deployed is not published.
What the Kuwait Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurofighter Typhoon (Tranche 3, P3Eb, Captor-E)In dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 20 | 2021 | — | 20 in service and 8 still to come per Wikipedia; 28 ordered (22 single-seat, six two-seat). Six had arrived by 28 September 2022 per The Aviationist.
MeerA delivery count for 2026 was not confirmed on an official page. |
|
| McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D HornetIn dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 34 | 1991 | — | 27 F/A-18C and 7 F/A-18D per Wikipedia and The Aviationist (2020); 39 in 2008; 40 delivered (32 C, 8 D).
MeerBeing retired: Defence Blog reported 38 retired Hornets offered to Malaysia in July 2025 and about 30 in August 2025, figures that cannot both match the in-service count. |
|
| Lockheed Martin KC-130J HerculesIn dienst | Tanker en transport | 3 | 2013 | — | Three, per Wikipedia; contract for three with an option for three more. | |
| Boeing C-17A Globemaster IIIIn dienst | Strategic airlifter | 2 | 2014 | — | Volgens Wikipedia zijn dat er twee. | |
| Boeing AH-64D Apache LongbowIn dienst | Aanvalshelikopter | 16 | 2006 | — | 16 delivered. | |
| Airbus Helicopters H225M CaracalIn dienst | Transport, combat search and rescue and naval helicopter | — | — | 30 ordered on 9 August 2016 for the Ministry of Defence; Wikipedia gives 24 for the air force and six for the National Guard, and its inventory puts four with the Naval Force.
MeerA delivered total was not confirmed. |
||
| Aerospatiale AS332 Super PumaIn dienst | Transporthelikopter | 5 | — | Five per Wikipedia. | ||
| Aerospatiale SA330 PumaIn dienst | Transporthelikopter | 6 | — | Zes volgens Wikipedia. | ||
| Aerospatiale SA342K GazelleIn dienst | Anti-armour and scout helicopter | 13 | 1975 | — | 13 in service per Wikipedia; 24 delivered in the mid-1970s. | |
| Sikorsky S-92In dienst | VIP transport helicopter | 4 | — | Volgens Wikipedia zijn het er vier. | ||
| BAe Hawk 64In dienst | Geavanceerde straaltrainer | 6 | 1985 | — | Six in service per Wikipedia; 12 ordered. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing F/A-18E/F Super HornetOp bestelling | 28 | 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F ordered in June 2018 (about 1.5 billion dollars for the aircraft contract, per Wikipedia), from a 2016 US approval for up to 40.
MeerOriginally due by 2021–2022; Kuwaiti-marked jets were photographed at St. Louis in September 2020. In August 2025 Defence Blog reported deliveries delayed to 2026 and service in 2027–2028. Wikipedia lists none in service. Ahmad al-Jaber is the planned base. |
||
| Eurofighter TyphoonOp bestelling | 8 | 2021 | The balance of 28 ordered in April 2016, per Wikipedia’s inventory (20 delivered). Completion date not confirmed. | |
| Boeing AH-64E Apache GuardianOp bestelling | 8 | Listed by Wikipedia as on order; the US approval could not be checked (dsca.mil refused the request). | ||
| Beechcraft King Air 350ER ISROp bestelling | 4 | Possible sale approved by the US State Department on 21 February 2018; listed by Wikipedia as on order. | ||
| Baykar Bayraktar TB2Op bestelling | 18 | Listed by Wikipedia as on order; contract date not confirmed. |
Every type the Kuwait Air Force has retired
12 types, from the Auster (several versions) and de Havilland DH.104 Dove to the Short Tucano T.52. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Tucano T.52 | Basistrainer | 16 | 1995–2025 | — | 16. | |
| McDonnell Douglas A-4KU and TA-4KU Skyhawk | Aanvalsvliegtuigen | 36 | 1978–1998 | F/A-18C/D Hornet | 36 new-build; 29 A-4KUs in service in 1990, of which 24 escaped to Saudi Arabia. | |
| English Electric (BAC) Lightning F.53K and T.55K | Onderschepper | 14 | 1968–1977 | Mirage F1 | 12 F.53K and two T.55K, ordered December 1966. | |
| Dassault Mirage F1CK and F1BK | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | — | 1975– | F/A-18C/D Hornet | 33 in the first batch (18 F1CK, 9 F1CK-2, 2 F1BK, 4 F1BK-2), delivered 1975–1977, plus a second batch to 1983 whose size was not confirmed.
MeerWikipedia’s air campaign article lists 15 with the coalition in 1991. |
|
| Hawker Hunter FGA.57 and T.67 | Ground-attack fighter and trainer | — | 1964– | — | At least eight: four FGA.57 and four T.67 conversions per Wikipedia’s variants list. More arrived in 1969, so the total may be higher. | |
| BAC Strikemaster Mk 83 | Light attack and trainer | 12 | 1969– | — | 12. | |
| Hunting (BAC) Jet Provost T.51 | Armed jet trainer | 6 | — | — | Zes. | |
| Westland Whirlwind | Hulphelikopter | 4 | — | — | Vier. | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou | Tactisch transport | 2 | 1963– | — | Twee. | |
| Auster (several versions) and de Havilland DH.104 Dove | Verbindings- en lichtvervoer | — | 1953– | — | Two Doves; the number of Austers was not confirmed. | |
| Bell 206 and Agusta-Bell 205 | Light and utility helicopters | 10 | 1968– | — | Two Bell 206 (1968–1977) and eight AB 205 (from November 1969). | |
| Lockheed L-100-20 and L-100-30 Hercules | Vervoer | 6 | 1971– | KC-130J | Two L-100-20 (1971) and four L-100-30 (1983). |
Where the Kuwait Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; all four airfields listed are in use. Ahmad al-Jaber and Ali Al Salem were built by Yugoslav contractors in the mid-1970s, according to the Library of Congress country study, were overrun in August 1990 and bombed by the coalition in 1991, and have hosted US air expeditionary wings since. Udairi Army Airfield at Camp Buehring is an American army helicopter field with no Kuwaiti aircraft recorded. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullah Al-MubarakKuwait International AirportFarwaniya Governorate | OKKK | Actief | 15R/33L3,400 mconcreet15L/33R3.500 m |
|
| Ahmad al-JaberKoeweit | OKAJ | Actief | 15L/33R3.000 m15R/33L3.000 m |
|
| Ali Al SalemKoeweit | OKAS | Actief | 12L/30R2.989 mbeton/asfalt12R/30L2.989 mbeton/asfalt |
|
| Udairi ArmyCamp BuehringKoeweit | OKDI | Actief | 18/361300 m |
|
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Kuwait Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Kuwaiti squadrons carry plain numbers — 9 and 25 with Hornets, 7 with Typhoons, 32 with Super Pumas and 12 Training Squadron with Hawks — and the government does not publish current dispositions, so units are placed only where Wikipedia or The Aviationist put them. The American, British, Canadian and Italian units that have flown from Kuwaiti bases are listed and marked as not Kuwaiti.
- Kuwait Air Force F/A-18C/D Hornet squadronsFighter and attack squadrons · active
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D Hornet
- 332nd Air Expeditionary Group and Wing (US Air Force)Luchtexpeditievleugel · buitenlands
- F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 (Block 40 and CJ), A-10, MQ-9A Reaper, HH-60G Pave Hawk
- Kuwait Air Force Mirage F1 and A-4 Skyhawk units (1990)—
- Dassault Mirage F1CK/BK, McDonnell Douglas A-4KU/TA-4KU Skyhawk
- Marine Aircraft Group 13 detachment (US Marine Corps)2003–2003
- AV-8B Harrier II
- Kuwait Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon squadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- Eurofighter Typhoon
- Kuwait Air Force helicopter squadrons and Flight Training SchoolHelicopter squadrons and flying school · active
- Aerospatiale AS332 Super Puma and other helicopters
- 386th Air Expeditionary Wing (US Air Force)Luchtexpeditievleugel · buitenlands
- C-130 Hercules, MQ-9A Reaper
- Italian Air Force detachmentAllied detachment · foreign
- Eurofighter Typhoon, MQ-9A Reaper
- Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris tanker detachment (Operation Impact)—
- CC-150 Polaris
- RAF Tornado GR4 force and Joint Helicopter Command (Operation Telic)2003–2003
- Panavia Tornado GR4, Joint Helicopter Command helicopters
- Kuwait Air Force headquartersAir force headquarters · active
- —
- Italian Air Force KC-767 tanker detachmentAllied tanker detachment · foreign
- Boeing KC-767A
- US Air Force aerial port gateway—
- —
- US Army combat aviation brigades (rotational)Army aviation brigades · foreign
- CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Kuwait Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
The air wing of the Public Security Force is formed under Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah, with Austers and two DH.104 Doves (Wikipedia).
June: Kuwait becomes independent; Iraq’s Qasim claims it, and Britain’s Operation Vantage puts troops and RAF aircraft in Kuwait by 1 July. The British leave by 19 October.
The first Hawker Hunters arrive; more follow in 1969.
December: deliveries of 14 English Electric Lightnings begin, ordered in December 1966.
Twelve BAC Strikemasters are delivered; eight Agusta-Bell 205s follow from November.
After a border clash with Iraq, Kuwait orders Mirage F1s; in November it announces 36 A-4KU Skyhawks.
The Lightnings are retired; the first Mirage F1 batch has been delivered since 1975. All Skyhawks are in service by the end of 1978.
31 October: twelve Hawk 64 trainers ordered; four L-100-30 Hercules delivered.
Forty F/A-18C/D Hornets ordered.
2 August: Iraq invades. Kuwaiti A-4s and Mirages fight from the bases and the highways; most aircraft escape to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem falls on 3 August.
January–February: the Free Kuwait Air Force flies over Kuwait (1,361 sorties per Wikipedia’s Skyhawk article); one A-4KU is lost on 17 January. October: Hornet deliveries begin, completed August 1993.
Twenty A-4KUs and three TA-4KUs are sold to Brazil.
3 February: the first six of 16 AH-64D Apaches are handed over.
Kuwait joins the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen; September: the Typhoon is selected.
April: contract for 28 Typhoons. August: 30 H225M Caracals ordered. November: US approval for up to 40 Super Hornets.
June: Boeing contract for 22 F/A-18Es and six F/A-18Fs.
14 December: the first two Typhoons fly from Caselle to Kuwait.
From 1 March Iran attacks Kuwait with missiles and drones; on 1–2 March three US F-15Es are shot down over Kuwait in what CENTCOM calls friendly fire by Kuwaiti air defences.
Every war the Kuwait Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait 1990 Attacked advancing Iraqi columns and helicopters from Ahmad al-Jaber, Ali Al Salem and improvised road strips, then evacuated most aircraft to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
- Operatie Desert Storm 1991 Flew day ground-attack missions with A-4KUs and Mirage F1s as part of the US-led coalition
- Operation Southern Watch 1992–2003 Kuwaiti aircraft flew missions over Iraq alongside the US-led enforcement of the southern no-fly zone, according to Wikipedia; Kuwaiti bases hosted coalition aircraft
- Saudi-led intervention in Yemen 2015– Contributed F/A-18 Hornets to the coalition air campaign against the Houthi movement
- De Iran-oorlog van 2026 2026 Defended Kuwait against Iranian missiles, drones and aircraft alongside ground-based air defences and US forces
Kuwait Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Kuwait Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.
Everything people ask about the Kuwait Air Force
What is the Kuwait Air Force called in Arabic?
What fighter jets does the Kuwait Air Force fly?
Has Kuwait received its Super Hornets?
When did Kuwait get the Eurofighter Typhoon?
What happened to the Kuwait Air Force when Iraq invaded in 1990?
Did the Kuwait Air Force fight in Desert Storm?
How many air-to-air kills did Kuwait claim in 1990?
Did a Kuwaiti jet shoot down American F-15Es in 2026?
Did Kuwait fly the English Electric Lightning?
Where is the Kuwait Air Force based?
Read the aircraft the Kuwait Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- GlobalSecurity: Kuwait Air Force (Library of Congress country study text)About 2,200 personnel and about 80 combat aircraft in 1990; A-4 attacks on 2 August; most sorties of the Gulf states in 1991; Hornet delivery restrictions.
- Eurofighter GmbH: The programmeKuwait: 28 ordered, contract April 2016, first two delivered December 2021, P3Eb with E-Scan Mk0.
- Boeing: Boeing Delivers Kuwait Air Force’s 1st C-17 Globemaster III (13 February 2014)Handover at Long Beach; Col. Abdullah Al Foudari quoted.
- The Aviationist: Delivery flight of the Kuwait Air Force’s first Eurofighter Typhoons (15 December 2021)KT001 and KT002 delivered 14 December 2021 from Caselle; MoU September 2015, contract April 2016.
- The Aviationist: Kuwait receives first single-seater Eurofighter Typhoon (7 October 2022)Fifth and sixth aircraft delivered 28 September 2022; 7 Squadron.
- The Aviationist: Kuwaiti F/A-18E Super Hornet photographed in its new low-visibility livery (29 September 2020)22 E and 6 F ordered 2018; due 2022; 27 F/A-18C and 7 F/A-18D in service; Ahmad al-Jaber.
- The Aviationist: Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles shot down in apparent friendly fire incident in Kuwait (2 March 2026)CENTCOM statement: shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses; Kuwaiti government statement on crew survival.
- The Aviationist: Kuwaiti F/A-18 allegedly involved in F-15E friendly fire incident (4 March 2026)Wall Street Journal report citing unnamed sources; CENTCOM declined comment.
- Defence Blog: Kuwait signs contract for the delivery of 28 Eurofighter Typhoons (16 May 2016)22 single-seat and six twin-seat; eighth customer.
- Defence Blog: Kuwait Ministry of Defence orders 30 H225M Caracal helicopters (9 August 2016)Contract for 30; roles.
- Defence Blog: Malaysia to inspect Kuwait’s retired F/A-18 Hornets (24 July 2025)38 retired Hornets offered; transfer tied to Super Hornet deliveries.
- Defence Blog: Malaysia drops plan to buy Kuwait F/A-18 fighter jets (27 August 2025)Super Hornet deliveries delayed to 2026, service 2027–2028.
- Defence Blog: Deal not dead – Malaysia still assessing Kuwaiti F/A-18s (28 August 2025)About 30 Hornets; 1,500–3,000 flight hours; Super Hornet service 2027–2028 at earliest.
- GlobalSecurity.org: Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base332nd Air Expeditionary Group activated November 1998 with 1,400 US troops; 90-day rotations; F-15E, F-16, A-10, HH-60; Guard A-10s 1999; more than 7,000 personnel in 2003; C-130E crash 10 December 1999.
- GlobalSecurity.org: Ali Al Salem Air Base"The Rock"; about 39–40 miles from the Iraqi border; sleepy radar site after 1991; 9th Air Expeditionary Group; 1,500 personnel before Desert Fox in 1998; tent city; 386th AEG in 2001; C-130 ramp March 2004.
Cijfers geverifieerd op 1 oktober 2026. De pagina's van Order of Battle worden opnieuw gegenereerd vanuit één dataset; als een getal hier niet overeenkomt met een pagina in Book of Beasts, is deze pagina de meest recente van de twee.
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