Leonardo will equip Al-Dorra corvettes for Kuwait

Italian arms company Leonardo will provide a combat management system for corvettes type Al-Dorra built in Abu Dhabi for Kuwait Navy. The agreement signed with Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding is worth approximately €320 million and strengthens the cooperation of the Italian company with EDGE Group.

System combat management system for Kuwaiti corvettes

On 20 May, Leonardo S.p.A. entered into a contract with Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding, a shipyard owned by the Emirati Group EDGE, for the delivery of a new generation combat command system for corvette type Al-Dorra. Ships are formed for the Kuwait Navy, or Al-Quwwat Al-Bahriyah Al-Kuwaitiyah.

The contract, estimated at around EUR 320 million, is not only technical but also industrial. Leonardo emphasises that this is the next stage of long-term cooperation with ADSB and EDGE. The relationship between these entities has been going on for more than two decades and has already covered the supply of equipment for more than 25 sea units.

Al-Dorra and the role of the ADSB shipyard

Kuwait ordered eight ships of type Al-Dorra 3 June 2025. The value of the entire program is about $2.45 billion. Construction comes from the project Wave 3, referred to by the manufacturer as Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), although in Kuwaiti configuration the units received strong missile and anti-aircraft weapons.

Prototype Corvette Al Noukhitha (P 6202) was launched on 3 February at Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding shipyard, during the celebration of the company's 30th anniversary, as we have already written about on our portal. The ship has a full displacement of 641 tonnes, a length of 62.7 m, a width of 9.5 m and dive 2.6 m.

Al-Dorra Corvette armament

The artillery arm is the Leonardo Strales 76 mm cannon with DART-corrected ammunition with fire control system NA-30S Mk2, two remote-controlled EOS R400-M stations with 30 mm and two single carbon miles with 12.7 mm.

The primary offensive weaponry is four MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 guided anti-ship missiles. Combating air raid measures in close proximity to the unit will be carried out using a RAM system with a 21-speed Mk49 Mod 3 launcher for RIM-116C Block 2 missiles, as well as MBDA VL MICA NG missiles, whose eight-chamber vertical launcher was installed on the forward deck.

The reinforcement of the weapon will be two 12-guided LiG Nex1 container launchers for guided Poniard Kal. 70 mm missiles. On the roof of the aft superstructure, housing a hangar for a semi-rigid inspection and pursuit boat (RHIB), there are two launchers of multi-spectral apparent targets of Rheinmetall MASS.

The broader dimension of Leonardo and EDGE cooperation

The new agreement is also important for further strengthening industrial relations between Leonardo and EDGE Group. The Italian company indicates that the agreement could be another step towards the creation of a joint venture in the future.

For Kuwait, the Al-Dorra program means strengthening the fleet with small but heavily armed warships, capable of patrolling, combating submarines, and self-defense against aerial assault measures. For ADSB and EDGE, however, it is further evidence that the Emirati ship industry is increasingly entering the segment of the construction of armed ships for foreign customers.