Leonardo says it’s not involved in Kuwait Eurofighter corruption probe

As a result of some rumours, Leonardo intends to clarify that the Eurofighter Typhoon Kuwait program is progressing in line with expectations and with success in terms of deliveries, contractual milestones and cash collections. Leonardo was referring to the news that Kuwait has referred two senior army officers to the public prosecutor over suspected corruption related to a deal to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets, the state anti-corruption body on Monday. “Investigations show that the defendants committed several violations that caused serious damage to public money by paying inflation bills to the manufacturer that exceeded the total value agreed upon in the main contract … without prior permission from the relevant authorities,” the Kuwait Anti Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said in a statement. Leonardo responded by saying that “in December 2021, the first two aircraft have been delivered and the others will follow as per plan. Our contractual relationship with Kuwait has always been based on the principles of maximum transparency as well as full fairness and it is regulated by a contract signed as part of a broader relationship between the institutions and the aeronautics of the two countries. Leonardo has no evidence of issues and every single transaction is promptly subject to procedures and adequacy checks. Finally, it is clarified that Leonardo is not the subject of an investigation in relation to the Kuwait program.” The Eurofighter Typhoon for the Kuwait Air Force feature a wide range of operational capabilities, built by Leonardo according to the specific requirements of the Kuwaiti Air Force. Leonardo represents with its activities about 36 percent of the value of the entire program, with its key role in the aeronautical components and the on-board electronics. Leonardo also plays a key role in the evolution of the Eurofighter thanks to the new AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar that equips the Eurofighter Typhoons for Kuwait, which increases the aircraft’s performance and competitiveness. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]