The United States Department of State has sold weapons to Morocco worth 8,545 million dollars, according to recent data. This includes significant defense acquisitions such as 18 Himars Runset, 40 JSOW Joint attack weapons, and six multifunctional systems of Tactical Radio for Joint Information Distribution. Other notable acquisitions include ten GM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles, 25 F-16C/D aircraft Block 72, and 36 Apache Ah-64E attack helicopters. Additionally, Morocco has received equipment worth 478 million dollars under the Surveying Articles (EDA) program of the Department of Defense since 2013, which allows the transfer of military equipment from the United States to allied countries and partners at no cost or a reduced cost.
Defense Exports and Acquisitions
The acquisitions include 222 M1A1 Abrams tanks, two C-130h aircraft, and 600 armored vehicles for personnel transport M113A3. Between the 2018 and 2022 fiscal years, defense teams were exported to Morocco worth more than 167 million dollars through the direct commercial sales process (DCS). The three defense exports commissioned by Morocco through the DCS were military electronics, gas turbine motors and associated equipment, and shooting control equipment, laser, images, and guide.
Foreign Military Financing and Training
In addition to defense purchases, the United States has helped Morocco through foreign military financing (FMF), a program of subsidies and loans from the US government that helps allied countries and partners to acquire US teams, services, and defense training. Since 2012, Washington has provided Rabat 135 million dollars within the framework of the FMF, which has allowed the Kingdom to preserve articles of defense of American origin, reinforce maritime surveillance to combat irregular immigration, smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing, acquire transport and logistics equipment, and improve aerial surveillance. American military assistance to Morocco also includes training under the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET), for foreign military personnel. https://www.youtube.com/embed/YouTubeVideoID
Cooperative Research and Development
Beyond these programs, Morocco has taken advantage of its condition of important ally not belonging to NATO (MNNA), designated in 2004, to participate in cooperative research and development, mutually finance training, and greater collaboration in defense. Since the end of the 1990s, the Kingdom welcomes the African military exercise, which brings together forces of both countries, participants of more than twenty states and NATO, for joint training. Directed by the United States Africa Command (Africom) since 2008, African Lion has become the largest military exercise on the continent, with thousands of troops participating annually. In addition, since 2003, Morocco maintains a training association with the Utah National Guard in the framework of the United States National Guard Association Program, which offers specialized training and opportunities for exchange with the Moroccan Armed Forces.
Since 2006, the kingdom has received a total of 32 million dollars for IMET, allowing Moroccan students to study in US military schools every year.