US signs off $425 million sale to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot air defenses
Washington's second Patriot upgrade for Kuwait in a month comes amid fears of a potential regional conflict should the US and Israel strike Iran's nuclear sites if diplomatic overtures fail.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration signed off on a $425 million planned sale of software and hardware upgrades to Kuwait’s Patriot air defense batteries in the latest proposal to shore up the kingdom against Iran’s missile threats.
The planned sale was notified to Congress on Wednesday, the Pentagon said in a press release. It is unlikely to face opposition from lawmakers given the defensive nature of the systems provided to a US-aligned Gulf country.
Why it matters: The sale marks the second time just this month that the Trump administration has approved Patriot missile upgrades for Kuwait.
The State Department green-lit a planned $400 million contract to have RTX Corporation upgrade the PAC-2 Guidance Enhancement Missiles of Kuwait’s Patriots on April 2.
