Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet Fighter Jet Crashes, Pilot Confirmed Dead

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence has announced that an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet belonging to the country’s air force crashed during a routine training mission in the northern part of the country on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by its spokesperson, Colonel Hamad Al-Sagr, the accident claimed the life of the pilot.

However, the identity of the deceased pilot has not been disclosed.

“An investigation is currently underway to determine the details and cause of the incident, which occurred during the fighter jet’s training mission in northern Kuwait,” the statement, quoted by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), said.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence did not reveal which variant of the F/A-18 was involved in the crash, whether it was the single-seat “C” variant or the two-seat “D” variant.

However, as the statement mentioned that the accident resulted in the death of the pilot, it is likely that the aircraft involved was the single-seat F/A-18C.

Kuwait currently operates 33 F/A-18C/D fighters in both single and two-seat configurations.

However, the Middle Eastern nation plans to retire the aircraft and replace them with the F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” and Eurofighter Typhoon.

In 2018, Kuwait signed an agreement to acquire 28 Super Hornet aircraft, comprising 22 single-seat F/A-18E fighters and six F/A-18F two-seat variants.

All of these Boeing-built aircraft are expected to operate from Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base.

In addition to the Super Hornets, Kuwait has also purchased 28 Eurofighter Typhoons, developed by a consortium of four European countries, in a deal estimated to be worth US$8.7 billion (RM38.73 billion).

Meanwhile, Malaysia has expressed interest in acquiring Kuwait’s F/A-18C/D fighter jets once the country retires them after receiving all of its Super Hornets.

Yesterday, Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who is currently on a visit to Kuwait, personally inspected the condition of the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D fighters that Malaysia is seeking to acquire.

The Malaysian delegation visited Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base, which houses Squadron 9, responsible for operating Kuwait’s F/A-18C/D Legacy Hornets.

Accompanying Mohamed Khaled on the visit to the airbase was Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan.

In June, an RMAF technical team visited Kuwait for discussions regarding the potential acquisition of the aircraft.

The RMAF chief stated that Kuwait’s F/A-18D Hornet aircraft are still in good condition, with low operational hours compared to Malaysia’s current Hornet fleet.

Mohamed Khaled mentioned that the Kuwaiti government had responded positively to Malaysia’s interest in acquiring the aircraft.

 

“Malaysia and Kuwait have agreed to form a joint committee to begin discussions and negotiations regarding the acquisition of the Legacy Hornet fighters,” said the Malaysian Defence Minister.

Malaysia plans to acquire Kuwait’s F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft as a “stop-gap measure” before the RMAF is equipped with new Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). — DSA