Douglas Poster courtesy of Gary Verver
In 1974, under a $250 million contract, the government of Kuwait purchased 30 newly manufactured A-4Ms and six TA-4s, along with spare parts and support equipment. The Kuwaiti Skyhawks were designated A-4KU and TA-4KU. Delivery began in 1977.
Many of the Kuwaiti Skyhawks, based at Dhahran Air base in Saudi Arabia, were flown on combat missions against Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. At least two of the Kuwaiti A-4s, one flown by Colonel Mubarak, the commanding officer of the Kuwaiti Skyhawk squadron, were lost to Iraqi ground fire during that war. Colonel Mubarak was one of the Allied POWs.
Kuwait A-4KU / TA-4KU BuNos
A-4KU
160180 N1001
160181 N1002
160182 N1003 damaged/destroyed
160183 N1004
160184 N1005
160185 N1006 damaged/destroyed
160186 N1007
160187 N1008 Fate unknown
160188 N1009
160189 N1010
160190 N1011
160191 N1012 damaged/destroyed
160192 N1013
160193 N1014
160194 N1015 damaged/destroyed
160195 N1016
160196 N1017
160197 N1018
160198 N1019
160199 N1020
160200 N1021 damaged/destroyed
160201 N1022
160202 N1023
160203 N1024
160204 N1025
160205 N1026
160206 N1027 Shot Down
160207 N1028 damaged/destroyed
160208 N1029 damaged/destroyed
160209 N1030
TA-4KU
160210 N1031 Museum in Kuwait
160211 N1032 Musuem in Kuwait
160212 N1033
160213 N1034
160214 N1035 Fate unknown
160215 N1036
Kept in near-mint condition in storage after their retirement, the remaining Kuwaiti Skyhawks were sold to Brazil in 1997.