F/A-18 fighter aircrafts are parked for maintenance on board US aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ, off the coast of Chennai, India, Saturday, June 30, 2007.

Kuwait’s Minister of Defense Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah said his country’s arms deal with the United States includes only 28 F/A-18 fighter jets, worth $5 billion, local Al Rai newspaper reported him as saying on Sunday.

Jarrah, who is also Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, dismissed reports that the US Department has approved a possible $10.1 billion military sale of 40 F/A-18 aircrafts to his government.

Sources told Al Rai said the deal was not made “in a day as others believe,” but bore its fruition after “a long process of negotiation.”

Reports of Kuwait purchasing 40 fight jets from the US was a heated topic especially among hopefuls running for the upcoming parliamentary election scheduled to take place on Nov. 26.

[vuukle]