The United States is rearming Morocco, which it considers its “socio vital», with numerous weapons systems. Morocco It is currently the largest buyer of US military equipment in Africa. The North American State Department has reported that it has 8,545 million dollars in active government-to-government sales programs with Morocco under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system.
GAAA II/32 gunners deploy Mistral missile launchers in Melilla opposite Morocco
The rearmament at the gates of Spain It is very relevant and includes everything from F-16 fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters to missiles, radars or rocket systems. Specifically, the report includes the recent sale of an entire arsenal of modern weapons and tactical systems:
• 18 launchers of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
• 40 Joint Distance Weapons AGM-154C (JSOW).
• 6 Systems Tactical Radio Joint Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS-JTRS).
• Diez missiles air-launched GM-84L Harpoon Block II
• 25 aircraft F-16C/D Block 72; 5,810 MK82-1 bombs.
• 36 AH-64E attack helicopters Apache.
• 8 radars AN/MPQ-64F1 SENTINEL.
• 20 missiles AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER.
• Three CH-47D helicopters CHINOOK.
• 40 LAU-129A launchers with 20 AGM-65D missiles MAVERICK.
•Un Gulfstream airplane G-550.
The United States alleges that it collaborates “closely” with Morocco to “promote regional stability, combat terrorism, strengthen trade and investment ties, and support Morocco’s development and reform efforts.” This support is not new, but it has intensified in recent years, as has the collaboration of the Moroccan government with the Israeli one.
From 2013Morocco has received equipment worth $478 million under the Department of Defense’s EDA program. This includes 222 Abrams M1A1 tanksof the C-130H aircraft y 600 armored vehicles M113A3 personnel carrier.
In fiscal years 2018-22the United States also authorized the permanent export of more than $167 million in defense items to Morocco through the Direct Commercial Sales process. The three main categories of defense exports to Morocco were military electronics; gas turbine engines and associated equipment; and fire control, laser, imaging and guidance equipment.
From 2012the United States has provided Morocco with $135 million in Foreign Military Financing (IMF). «Our assistance has been key to maintaining defense articles of American origin; strengthen maritime surveillance to combat illegal immigration, smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal fishing; acquire transportation and logistics equipment; and modernize aerial surveillance,” states the State Department.
military training
Furthermore, since 2006the United States has provided Morocco with 32 million dollars for Education and International Military Training (IMET). Through this program, Moroccan students annually attend classes in Professional Military Education in American military schools. These courses significantly boost interoperability with US forces.
On the other hand, the United States emphasizes that both countries also maintain solid military cooperation through operations of joint security. Since the late 1990s, Morocco has hosted the training exercise African Lionwhich brings together US and Moroccan forces with participants from more than twenty countries and NATO. Under US Africa Command since 2008, African Lion has become the largest joint military exercise of the continent, with the annual participation of thousands of troops. Furthermore, since 2003, Morocco has maintained a training collaboration with the Utah National Guard under the US National Guard State Partnership Program, which offers specialized training and exchange opportunities with the Moroccan Armed Forces.
