Kuwait To Become Third Country To Fly F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

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Kuwait To Become Third Country To Fly F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:53 am

Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:51 am

Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet for Kuwait flies

Not only the Qatar Advanced Eagle (F-15QA) production is ramping up with Boeing at St. Louis Lambert International (MO), now the Super Hornets destined for the Kuwait Air Force start to see the daylight as well.

This Super Hornet, with Bureau Number (BuNo) 169731, is seen flying a test flight with callsign RED55 from St. Louis on 2 July 2020. It was the first flight of this F/A-18F Block III for Kuwait, showing the now familiar primer colours. If our information is correct, this particular one is already the fifth Super Hornet for Kuwait.

Back on 17 November 2016 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified for the approval to supply Kuwait F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with equipment, training facilities and support. However, the eventual sale of F/A-18 Super Hornets to Kuwait was held up by a delay in obtaining US State Department approval. By then, Kuwait had already ordered 28 Typhoons (in April 2016), with a mix of 22 single-seat and 6 two-seat aircraft. This led to some confusion as to whether Super Hornets or Typhoons would replace Kuwait’s fleet of 34 legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets, 40 of which had been delivered from October 1991.

The Kuwaiti order was originally expected to be for a total of 40 Super Hornets, including an initial batch of 28 aircraft, and with options on 12 more. Eventually Kuwait ordered 28 examples of the Typhoon and 28 Block III Super Hornets (same mix of 22 F/A-18E single-seat and 6 F/A-18F two-seat aircraft), expanding its fighter force and re-establishing a two-type frontline force.
Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:26 am

Nice Scoop: Kuwaiti Super Hornet showing its colours

These are the first images of a Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya (Kuwait Air Force, KAF) Boeing F/A-18E Block III Super Hornet in full colour scheme. Serial 803 (Bureau Number (BuNo) 169708) was caught making multiple touch and go’s at the manufacturer plant at St. Louis Lambert International (MO) on 25 September 2020.

With the new knowledge of the (first) serial and BuNo block, we can publish the serial batches we expect for the KAF 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets:

801-822 169706-169727 F/A-18E Block III
831-836 169728-129733 F/A-18F Block III

The only reservation with the above is the two-seater serials, as they have not been noted yet. As we reported before however, F/A-18F BuNo 169731, was noted during a test flight in St. Louis (MO) on 2 July 2020. Back then it was in primer (no two-one grey coat) and without a serial. Reportedly it was then the fifth Kuwaiti Super Hornet but unclear if it was the fifth built, or fifth flown or fifth noted. Anyway, it seems is the fourth F/A-18F.

To recap, back on 17 November 2016 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency submitted the approval to supply Kuwait F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with equipment, training facilities and support. However, the eventual sale of F/A-18 Super Hornets to Kuwait was held up by a delay in the US State Department's approval. By then, Kuwait had already ordered 28 Typhoons (in April 2016), with a mix of 22 single-seat and six two-seat aircraft. This led to some confusion as to whether Super Hornets or Typhoons would replace Kuwait’s remaining fleet of 34 legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets.

The Kuwaiti order was originally expected to be for a total of 40 Super Hornets, including an initial batch of 28 aircraft, and with options on 12 more. Eventually Kuwait ordered 28 examples of the Typhoon and 28 Block III Super Hornets; the latter with the same single-/two-seat mix as the Typhoons: 22 F/A-18E single-seat and six F/A-18F two-seat aircraft. This way, the country is expanding its fighter force and re-establishing a two-type frontline force.
Last edited by n33d4sp33d_85 on Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:46 pm

Low level Kuwaiti F/A-18E

Factory fresh F/A-18E with serial 802 (BuNo 169707) was caught on camera by our friend Steve Lewis over the wilderness of California. This Kuwaiti Hornet ...

Please continue this read at https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/l ... ti-f-a-18e

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