French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the two countries would also consider updating their defense pact and cementing "a strategic partnership," during his brief visit to the oil-rich Gulf state.
"Defense ministers are in deep discussions," and will try to reach agreement on the weapons deal by the end of the year, Sarkozy told reporters in Kuwait City.
He said Kuwait was considering buying up to 28 Rafale jets, multi-role combat aircraft made by Dassault Aviation in France. He provided no information about the cost of the jets or any of the other weapons.
France signed a defense pact with Kuwait after the 1991 Gulf War; France was a member of the international coalition that freed Kuwait from a seven-month Iraqi occupation.
Kuwait is still rebuilding its military, which was devastated by the Iraqi invasion.
Sarkozy said France also would open a military base with air force and navy capabilities in the neighboring United Arab Emirates in April "to help (maintain) stability in the area."
The French base in Abu Dhabi would be one of only a few run by Western powers, including the United States, in the oil-rich region, and would allow French defense contractors to showcase their hardware.
