World IN BRIEF : KUWAIT : First of 40 New Jet Fighters Arrive

Kuwait took delivery of the first of 40 sophisticated U.S. fighter jets that are to be the backbone of a high-tech new post-Gulf War military. The three F-18 Hornets that arrived were the first acquired under a $1.6-billion contract to replace the Kuwaiti air force’s aging A-4 Skyhawks and Mirage F-1s, some of which were lost in the Iraqi invasion. Another eight of the F-18s, which cost $38 million each, will be delivered over the next month. The rest of the jets will arrive after the $500-million reconstruction of air bases wrecked during the war. The work should be completed by August.