State Department approves more than $1.4B in Patriot upgrades for Kuwait

The State Department has signed off on three potential equipment sales to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot missile systems, a deal that could bring the United States a combined $1.425 billion.

One deal, for 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements, has an estimated worth of $800 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced Thursday.

Another is a $425 million potential sale for sustainment and technical assistance and the final deal would include $200 million for a repair and return program.

The DSCA notified Congress of the potential sales Thursday.

The proposed sales will “improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats and provide greater security for its critical oil and natural gas infrastructure,” according to the statement.

While the sustainment and technical assistance contract would include work on the ground overseas, the repair and return program would have Kuwait ship equipment back to the United States for fixing. Once repaired, the parts would be sent back to Kuwait, which would then be then billed for the service.

Work would be performed at several companies in Huntsville, Ala., including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Leidos and KBR. Work on the PAC-3 missile segment enhancements, meanwhile, would be done at Lockheed’s Dallas, Texas, location.