The Security Cooperation Agency under the Department of Defense of the United States announces that it has validated the approval by the Department of State of a sale to Morocco of 18 HIMARS artillery systems, the effectiveness of which has been tested especially in Ukraine. “The Department of State has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Moroccan government of High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) and related equipment at an estimated cost of $524.2 million.” In its statement, the US agency indicates that this sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States “by helping to improve the security of an important non-NATO ally that continues to be an important force for political and economic stability.” ”. progress in North Africa.
underlines the improvement of Morocco’s capacities to face current and future threats and to control its borders, thus contributing to the maintenance of regional stability and security. This agreement “will also strengthen the interoperability of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), which exercises regularly with US forces, focusing on the fight against terrorism and violent extremist organizations in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.”
In the batch that Morocco wishes to acquire, there are, in addition to the 18 HIMARS mentioned, 40 M57 Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), 36 M31A2 GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems), 36 M30A2 alternative warheads and many other equipment. This transaction is accompanied by American technical, logistical and engineering support. On the US side, the contractors will be Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, L3 Harris Communications, Raytheon, COBHAM Aerospace Connectivity, Oshkosh Defense, AAR Corporation, Cadillac and AM General.
US HIMARS artillery systems, in operation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict since June 2022, are the most modern missile launchers in the world, Le360 reports. They doubled the distance that the artillery of the Ukrainian troops can cover (up to 70 km). HIMARS and their GMLRS guided missiles have a very small margin of error, only one meter.
The Moroccan FAR are equipped with CAESar artillery systems, made in France. In 2020, a contract was signed for the acquisition of 36 units of this type for 170 million euros, to which are added 30 million euros of ammunition. It is a 155 mm self-propelled gun, caliber 52 long (more than 8 meters), designed and manufactured by Nexter Systems in Bourges and integrated into its headquarters in Roanne. It offers both great ease of projection and high personnel protection. The particularity of this system is that it is more mobile than a classic self-propelled artillery. Its other advantage is its maintenance cost, which would be three times lower than that of a tracked armored self-propelled vehicle due to the ease of maintenance of the chassis.
The FAR have placed an order for PULS rocket launchers, developed by the Israeli Elbit Systems, the specialized forum Far-Morocco indicated on its Facebook page. The particularity of this last system is that it offers the possibility of firing a wide range of rockets as well as guided missiles.
For Morocco, the advantage of this equipment is to be able to provide an adequate response to the proliferation of ballistic missiles in the region. A way of reinforcing its regional power and pole of stability, providing it with formidable firepower, while guaranteeing its army great mobility that makes it less vulnerable to enemy attackshe concludes.
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