Kuwaiti Patriot PDB 8.1 upgrade request approved by US State Department

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Kuwait covering an upgrade to its Patriot air and missile defence systems, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 30 April 2025.

The upgrade, which is worth an estimated USD 425 million (EUR 373.7 million), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval.

Kuwait has requested to buy services, including delivery and installation, in relation to Patriot Post-Deployment Build (PDB) 8.1. This is a software upgrade for the Patriot system that features the Warfighter-Machine Interface (WMI): a new command-and-control technology that will provide a simplified view of complex defence system data for operators, allowing them to more clearly and more immediately understand the battlespace. WMI features 3D visuals, easy-to-read status pages and search functions that are commonly found in gaming platforms to replace pixelated shapes and a complex directory system.

This latest FMS case follows the DSCA announcing on 3 April 2025 that the US State Department had approved a Kuwaiti FMS request worth USD 400 million covering equipment and services required to upgrade and recertify Patriot PAC-2 Guidance Enhancement Missiles (GEMs) and recertify Patriot Guidance Enhancement Missiles-Tactical (GEM-Ts).

The Kuwait Air Defence Command has around 40 MIM-104 Patriot launchers and a mix of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles.

The DSCA has stated of the combined Kuwaiti FMS requests that they would “improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats by assisting Kuwait in maintaining higher levels of operational readiness while meeting its modernization and professionalization goals”.

The principal contractor for Kuwait’s Patriot upgrades is RTX Corporation.