Kuwait to enhance air defences with Anduril counter-drone systems as tensions with Iran persist.
Kuwait City: The United States on Friday approved a $1.98 billion arms sale to Kuwait, one of several Gulf countries affected by Iranian attacks during the recent Middle East conflict.
In a statement, the US State Department said it had authorised the sale of advanced counter-drone systems and related equipment from Anduril Industries, the US defence technology company founded by entrepreneur Palmer Luckey.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that has been an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the State Department said.
The approval comes amid heightened regional tensions. Earlier this week, Kuwaiti authorities condemned what they described as “Iranian aggression” after a drone strike targeting the country’s international airport killed one person and injured 63 others.
The proposed deal is intended to strengthen Kuwait’s ability to detect, track and neutralise unmanned aerial threats, reinforcing the country’s air-defence capabilities as Gulf states seek to bolster security against increasingly sophisticated drone attacks.
Tehran denied any involvement in the attack, claiming the incident was caused by a malfunction in US-made Patriot air-defence systems rather than Iranian action. Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations linking the country to the strike.
The attack occurred despite a ceasefire announced on April 8 that halted the conflict triggered by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. While the truce has largely held, it has been punctuated by sporadic exchanges of fire and periodic flare-ups that have underscored the fragility of the agreement.
