Kuwait and US hold annual Joint Military Committee meeting at Pentagon
Kuwait and the United States hold their annual Joint Military Committee meeting at the Pentagon in August 2026, co-chaired by Lt. Gen. Khaled Daraj Saad Al-Shuraian and Michael DiMino. The delegations establish a strategic partnership with the Maryland National Guard and discuss a pending $1.98 billion acquisition of Anduril counter-drone systems. The talks focus on regional security, maritime cooperation, and streamlining foreign military sales under the America First Arms Transfer Strategy.
Kuwait-US Joint Military Committee meeting
▪The August 2026 Joint Military Committee meeting was co-chaired by Kuwaiti Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Khaled Daraj Saad Al-Shuraian and United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of War Michael DiMino.
▪Kuwait and the United States held their annual Joint Military Committee meeting at the Pentagon in August 2026 to review joint military cooperation.
Military training cooperation
▪During the August 2026 Joint Military Committee meeting, Kuwaiti and United States delegations held workshops and reviewed joint cooperation in military maintenance and training.
▪The United States and Kuwaiti delegations discussed increasing military interoperability and expanding cooperation on maritime security during their August 2026 meeting.
Defense capability modernization
▪The United States and Kuwaiti delegations discussed the United States administration's 'America First Arms Transfer Strategy' in August 2026 to streamline foreign military sales and accelerate Kuwaiti modernization.
▪Kuwait committed in August 2026 to increasing investments in its defense capabilities and the United States defense industrial base to expand foreign military sales.
Counter-drone systems acquisition
▪Kuwait is planning a pending $1.98 billion acquisition of Anduril counter-small unmanned aircraft systems as part of its broader defense expansion plan discussed in August 2026.
▪The United States and Kuwaiti delegations highlighted the growing role of unmanned aircraft systems in warfare and the need for deeper defense integration during their August 2026 meeting.
Maryland National Guard partnership
▪Kuwait and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2026 establishing a strategic partnership between Kuwait and the Maryland National Guard.
▪United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of War Michael DiMino formally announced in August 2026 Kuwait's acceptance into the United States State Partnership Program, pairing Kuwait with the Maryland National Guard.
Regional security threats
▪The United States and Kuwaiti delegations discussed enhancing regional integrated air and missile defense architectures to address security challenges during their August 2026 meeting.
▪During their August 2026 meeting, United States and Kuwaiti officials exchanged assessments of regional security challenges and discussed strengthening Kuwait's defense capabilities against shared threats.
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