IRIA News

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Kuwait has awarded Germany’s Rheinmetall a multi-million-dollar contract to equip its future Al Dorra-class guided-missile boats with the Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), strengthening the Kuwaiti Navy’s ability to defend against anti-ship missiles and other precision-guided threats.

The agreement covers the installation of MASS on eight Al Dorra-class guided-missile boats being built for the Kuwaiti Naval Forces. The contract also includes the supply of Omnitrap-ER decoy ammunition, system integration, testing, and verification activities.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026, with installation and commissioning expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2029.

While neither Rheinmetall nor Kuwait disclosed the overall contract value, the company said the launcher portion of the agreement falls within the low double-digit millions of euros, while the Omnitrap-ER ammunition order is valued in the high single-digit millions of euros.

Based on current exchange rates, the combined package is estimated to be worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars. The contract marks the first delivery of Rheinmetall’s MASS naval decoy launcher system to Kuwait. Advanced protection against missile threats

The Multi Ammunition Softkill System is an off-board naval countermeasure designed to protect warships by disrupting the guidance systems of incoming anti-ship missiles and other sensor-guided weapons before they reach their target.

Unlike hard-kill systems that physically destroy incoming missiles, MASS employs multispectral decoys that create false targets, causing enemy missiles to divert away from the protected vessel.

The system is capable of countering a broad range of threats that rely on radar, infrared, ultraviolet, electro-optical, and laser guidance technologies. Rheinmetall said the latest Omnitrap-ER decoys provide extended range and an improved flight trajectory, allowing them to be deployed more accurately against increasingly sophisticated missile seekers.

MASS operates automatically by analyzing wind conditions, the ship’s speed and heading, navigation data, and the characteristics of incoming threats to determine the most effective decoy deployment pattern.

The system can be installed with up to six trainable launchers, each capable of carrying up to 32 Omni Trap decoys. It can function as a standalone defensive system or be fully integrated into a vessel’s command-and-control and weapon-control architecture.

According to Rheinmetall, the latest MASS nova configuration has been developed to address emerging threats, including hypersonic weapons, littoral attack systems and advanced missiles employing synthetic aperture radar technology.

Its modular design allows installation on a wide variety of naval platforms, ranging from offshore patrol vessels to corvettes and frigates, making it suitable for both new-build ships and modernization programs.

Al Dorra-class Missile Boats

The Al Dorra vessels are being constructed by Abu Dhabi Ship Building under the leadership of UAE-based EDGE Group, which serves as the program’s prime contractor.

Designed as modern stealth patrol vessels, the Al Dorra-class ships will support a range of missions, including maritime security, coastal patrol, search-and-rescue operations, territorial waters protection and the safeguarding of offshore energy infrastructure.

The vessels are expected to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Kuwaiti Naval Forces by combining advanced sensors, combat systems, and defensive technologies within a modern, low-observable platform.

The integration of the MASS system is expected to improve the ships’ survivability in contested maritime environments where anti-ship missile threats continue to evolve in both capability and complexity.

Series of Major Contracts

The MASS agreement is the latest in a series of contracts awarded for the Al Dorra program during 2026 as construction of the vessels continues.

Earlier this month, French company HGH secured a contract to supply its SPYNEL 360-degree infrared surveillance system for the new missile boats. The panoramic infrared sensors are designed to provide continuous long-range detection and tracking of aerial, surface and asymmetric threats in all weather conditions.

In May, Italian defense company Leonardo signed an agreement valued at approximately $370 million to provide the vessels’ naval combat systems. The package includes combat management capabilities and other mission systems intended to integrate the ships’ sensors and weapons into a unified operational network.

Earlier, in April, Abu Dhabi Ship Building selected Singapore’s ST Engineering under a contract worth approximately $467 million to design and supply the platform systems for the Al Dorra fleet. Those systems include key engineering components that support propulsion, electrical generation, and overall ship operations.

Together, these contracts illustrate the multinational nature of the program, bringing together defense companies from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to deliver the various technologies required for the new fleet.

Kuwait’s Maritime Capabilities

The Al Dorra program forms a central part of Kuwait’s broader efforts to modernize its naval forces in response to an increasingly complex maritime security environment in the Arabian Gulf.

The region remains strategically important because of its critical shipping lanes and offshore energy infrastructure, making maritime security a key priority for Gulf states.

Modern guided-missile boats equipped with advanced surveillance, combat management and self-protection systems are expected to improve Kuwait’s ability to monitor and defend its territorial waters, conduct patrol operations and respond to a wide range of conventional and asymmetric threats.

The addition of Rheinmetall’s MASS system will provide the Al Dorra-class vessels with an additional layer of protection against modern anti-ship missiles, allowing crews to respond more effectively to evolving battlefield conditions.

With deliveries beginning this year and continuing through 2029, the integration of the new decoy systems represents another step forward in Kuwait’s long-term naval modernization strategy, ensuring that the future Al Dorra-class fleet is equipped with advanced defensive capabilities alongside its surveillance, combat and mission systems.