The State Department approved a possible $319 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to Kuwait for facilities and infrastructure construction support service.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on Thursday.
The request includes the possible sale for the design, construction, and procurement of key airfield operations, command and control, readiness, sustainment, and life support facilities for the Al Mubarak Airbase in Kuwait.
Under the FMS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will provide project management, engineering services, technical support, facility and infrastructure assessments, surveys, planning, programming, design, acquisition, contract administration, construction management, and other technical services for the construction of facilities and infrastructure for the airbase. The project in total includes a main operations center, hangars, training facilities, barracks, warehouses, support facilities, and other infrastructure required for a fully functioning airbase, the agency said.
The USACE is the primary organization that will direct and manage the program. The Corps will provide services through in-house personnel and contract services.
These facilities, similar to others built previously by the USACE in the region, will replace existing facilities and will provide autonomous airbase operations to the Kuwait Air Force. That new airbase “will ensure the continued readiness of the Kuwait Air Force and allow for the continued education of current and future Kuwait Air Force personnel,” DSCA said in a statement.
The agency also highlighted that construction of the airbase will enable Kuwait to enhance the effectiveness of its military and promote security and stability throughout the country.
The number of U.S. government and contractor representatives that will be assigned to Kuwait to implement this sale will be determined later as a result of program definization.