Kuwait OKs Arms Deal With Soviets; New Blow to U.S.

Kuwait announced Sunday that it has signed a new arms deal with the Soviet Union, the second of the oil-rich gulf sheikdoms to seek military “diversification” from the United States in a week.

On Friday, Britain announced that it had reached a “formal understanding” with Saudi Arabia to provide 40 to 50 Tornado fighters, up to 60 advanced Hawk trainers, 80 military helicopters, air bases and patrol ships in a deal worth an estimated $17 billion.

The White House described the British-Saudi deal as a blow to the U.S. defense industry. The agreement followed several attempts by Congress to water down, delay or cancel Saudi arms purchases that were regarded as detrimental to the security of Israel.

Kuwait’s signing of an arms package with Moscow came just three days after the U.S. Senate, citing a potential threat to Israel, voted to drop Maverick air-to-ground missiles from a $1.9-billion agreement for the sale of 40 F-18 fighter-bombers to Kuwait.

Western diplomats in the gulf believe that by signing the agreement for unspecified “military equipment,” the Kuwaitis hope to telegraph to Washington their increasing frustration over the progress of the F-18 deal.

“The signing of this contract (with Moscow) comes from Kuwait’s faith in the principle of diversifying its arms sources according to the quality of these arms and their suitability,” a statement by the Kuwaiti press agency said. The agreement was signed by a Soviet delegation headed by Yuri Grishin, deputy minister of foreign economic relations.

Sheik Saad al Abdullah al Sabah, the Kuwaiti prime minister, was due to arrive in Washington today to discuss the arms package amid indications that Kuwait would reject the fighter deal without the missiles.

‘Complete Deal’

“Kuwait requested a complete deal and will not omit basic elements,” the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States, Sheik Saud Nasir Sabah, was quoted Sunday as telling journalists in Washington. “We will push for American military hardware for legitimate defensive goals. Kuwait has not and never will beg for arms.”

Western diplomats said they doubted Kuwait would accept the plane deal with the congressional limitations. If the deal falls through, the leading contenders to replace the F-18 are the British-made Tornado and the French Mirage 2000.

“They would have to be crazy to buy the planes without the missiles,” said one diplomat in the region.

The Kuwaitis have been rebuffed in the past by the United States. In 1985, Kuwait turned to the Soviet Union to provide surface-to-air missiles when Congress refused to sell it shoulder-fired Stingers.

Iranian Aggression

Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have become increasingly concerned about Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf. The Iranians have repeatedly fired missiles at Kuwait, and the Saudis became alarmed at Iranian violence in Mecca last year during the annual pilgrimage, prompting the Riyadh government to break relations with Tehran two months ago.

The Saudis angered the United States earlier this year by buying an estimated 20 surface-to-surface missiles from China. The missiles, with a range of up to 1,800 miles, are capable of hitting targets in either Iran or Israel.

After delivering a message of U.S. displeasure over the missile deal, U.S. Ambassador Hume Horan was sent home by the angry Saudis, although he had been posted to Riyadh only six months earlier.

Diplomats said they doubted the latest Saudi arms deal with Britain would undo the desert kingdom’s “special relationship” with the United States that has existed since World War II. But they also noted that the terms of the agreement suggest that the United States will be out of the Saudi arms market for years to come.