The fighter-bombers will first be delivered to the US Navy, after which they will be able to reach Kuwait, but the exact date is not yet known. The manufacturer announced the milestone on September 2 and posted a video on its Twitter page showing the 822 single-seat machine leaving its St. Louis, Missouri factory. Kuwait eventually purchased 22 single-seat F/A-18Es and six two-seater F/A-18Fs as part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program instead of the 40 originally planned.
On November 17, 2016, the US Department of State approved the sale of 40 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets (32 seat E and 8 two-seater F models) and related equipment, training and logistics packages to Kuwait. However, with the US administration delaying the issuance of permits for the sale of combat aircraft, in April 2016, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense also signed a contract with the Leonardo Group, on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium, to supply 28 Typhoon Tranch-3 aircraft.
In March 2018, the first contract was signed with Boeing, which required production of 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters for the Kuwait Air Force. Kuwait also ordered an advanced Block III version, regulated by the US Navy, while retaining some elements of the Block II version. In the following years, the country also negotiated the transfer of the French Rafale, the European Hurricane, and the American Super Hornet, and according to the current situation, the latter two seem to have become a real deal so far.
After the Royal Australian Air Force, Kuwait will be the second foreign operator of the Super Hornet.
