Kuwait Will Have To Wait For Its Eurofighter Jets Beyond Christmas

Finmeccanica might delay the signing of a contract worth 7-8 billion euros to sell 28 Eurofighter jets to Kuwait.

Finmeccanica CEO, Mauro Moretti said last Thursday that the contract may not be signed before December 25.

Finmeccanica had expected to complete the deal in November. The delay is supposedly because of problems linked to pilot training and dispatching of specialized personnel.

Last month sources said the completion had been delayed to the middle of December. Asked on Thursday if the contract would be signed by Christmas, Moretti told reporters: "We don't know."

The Kuwaiti government had asked the parliament to approve a supplementary budget of 6.2 billion dinars ($20.4 billion) to fund weapons purchases for the military over 10 years, al-Rai newspaper reported December 1.

Kuwait signed a MoU to buy 28 Eurofighters in September. It is also negotiating buying 28 Boeing F/A-18E/F fighter jets by the end of this year. The deal however has been held up by delays in US regulatory process.