US defence contractor Raytheon has won a $145m foreign military sales production contract for Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM) for Kuwait.

The US Army Aviation and Missile Command signed the deal that will help efforts to bolster Kuwait’s air and missile defences.

Patriot GEM-T interceptors can eliminate a variety of threats, including enemy aircraft and non-strategic ballistic missiles carrying biological, chemical or nuclear payloads.

“This new GEM-T missile production contract highlights the efforts by Kuwait Air Defence to maintain readiness and effectiveness of the Patriot Air and Missile System to counter evolving regional threats,” says Sanjay Kapoor, vice-president of Patriot Programmes at Raytheon Integrated Defence Systems (IDS).

Work under this contract will be performed by Raytheon IDS at the Integrated Air Defence Centre in Andover, Massachusetts.

Kuwait last upgraded its Patriot missile defence system in 2009 (MEED 29:6:09).