Tunisia in talks to purchase Kuwaiti Hornets
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| Kuwait's Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fleet appears to be targeted by Tunisia. |
Arab media recently revealed that Tunisia is considering purchasing Kuwait Air Force's fleet (or part of the fleet) of F/A-18C/D Hornet multirole aircraft to replace older Northrop F-5EF jets from the early 1980s.
Kuwait currently has a surplus of 31 F/A-18C/D Hornets which are being retired following the purchase of 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 28 Eurofighter Typhoons.
The US State Department appears to be in favor of this deal, which would contribute to strengthening the defense of Tunisia, which is heavily threatened by Libya.
The main obstacle to such an agreement is caused by Tunisia's budget which is extremely modest. Tunis should obtain financing for the purchase of fighters, modernization works and maintenance of the fleet in the medium to long term.
Tunisia also appears to be negotiating the purchase of a dozen F-16V aircraft, the latest variant of Lockheed Martin's best-seller, however the high costs of the Viper are holding back the deal.
Kuwait currently has a surplus of 31 F/A-18C/D Hornets which are being retired following the purchase of 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 28 Eurofighter Typhoons.
The US State Department appears to be in favor of this deal, which would contribute to strengthening the defense of Tunisia, which is heavily threatened by Libya.
The main obstacle to such an agreement is caused by Tunisia's budget which is extremely modest. Tunis should obtain financing for the purchase of fighters, modernization works and maintenance of the fleet in the medium to long term.
Tunisia also appears to be negotiating the purchase of a dozen F-16V aircraft, the latest variant of Lockheed Martin's best-seller, however the high costs of the Viper are holding back the deal.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
Image: US Navy
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