Few months after the announcement of the Kuwait’s will to acquire 24 Caracal by Airbus Helicopters, the Kuwaiti and French Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Ahmad Al Sabah and Manuel Valls, signed on the 21st October, the official contract in Paris.
In addition, several deals were signed regarding the provision of French light armoured vehicles and patrol boat maintenance.
In that context, Sheikh Jaber Al Sabah signed with Valls a declaration of intention for the acquisition by the Kuwaiti Army of 120 Sherpa light-armored vehicles by Renault Truck Defence. The Sherpa Light family of 4×4 tactical and light armoured vehicles is designed to provide light forces (infantry, paratroopers, marines, internal security…) with the best mobility/payload compromise of its category. In addition to its outstanding on and off-road performances, the Sherpa Light is fully air transportable (A400M/C-130), multirole and ready for being up-armoured (ballistic and mine kits).
Concerning the Kuwaiti Navy, another declaration of intention was signed for the prolongation of TLSP (Technical and Logistic Support Program), a program of modernization and maintenance until 2020 for the 8 P37 patrollers bought in 1998/2000. In 2008 the TSLP was entrusted to DCI, a French company, already involved in Kuwait for the training of the sailors and military pilots of Kuwait.
The Caracal contract and the declarations of intention, worth respectively $1 and $1.5 billion, should accentuate the partnership between France and Kuwait in Defense and strengthen the presence of France in the Middle East.
Pierre Kfouri
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