Why Morocco is investing heavily in long-range fires Breaking Defense explains

The US State Department recently approved the potential sale of some $750 million dollars in arms to Morocco, including HIMARS launchers, ATACMS missile systems, and Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW), in what analysts say reflects a natural modernization push for the North African nation but also signals some concern over tensions in the region.

“The Moroccan authorities perceive that there is a need to augment their defense and security capabilities in light of the sensitive regional environment and the desire to plan for various types of scenarios which include worst-case scenarios that involve a breakdown in relationships with neighboring states, however low the probability of that happening may be,” Kristian Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute, told Breaking Defense.

On Tuesday the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced a pair of potential high-dollar sales. The first was for a total of $524.2 million and includes 18 HIMARS launchers, 36 ATACMS, 72 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) in two variations, as well as vehicles and artillery data systems. The second is for some $250 million for 40 Joint Stand Off Weapons and other equipment.

The principal contractors for the HIMARS deal will be Lockheed Martin, L3 Harris Communications, Raytheon, COBHAM Aerospace Connectivity, Oshkosh Defense and others, according to the DSCA, and Raytheon for the JSOW.

In both cases DSCA said the sale “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in North Africa.” The approval of potential Foreign Military Sales such as these are not the final word, as prices and unit amounts can change as negotiations continue, and there’s always the possibility the US Congress could object to the sales.

The deal comes as tensions between Morocco and neighboring Algeria have escalated in recent years due to a dispute over Western Sahara, which Morocco claims to be its own territory and where Algeria backs the Tindouf-based Polisario Front rebel group.

David Des Roches, associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies, told Breaking Defense that the HIMARS part of the deal isn’t surprising.

“HIMARS is a natural evolution in modern artillery.  It increases both the range and accuracy over traditional cannon fire, albeit at much greater expense,” he said.

He added that the Moroccan army is one of the most professional in the world and is largely organized along Western lines, so it would be surprising if Morocco did not seek to upgrade to HIMARS at some point.

Many of the missile systems have seen their international profile rise as they’ve been gifted by the US to Ukraine in Kyiv’s fight against Russia.

“Every war sees some weapon system become the ‘must have’ weapon,” Des Roches said. “In Desert Storm it was Patriot, in Afghanistan it was Predator, in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict it was the Bayraktar drone. The weapon to come out of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is definitely HIMARS (or more correctly GLMRS).  I expect many countries who have medium to large sized militaries and are friendly with the US to make similar purchases”.

But, he said, HIMARS may not necessarily see any immediate action, as it’s not well-suited to a potential conflict over the Western Sahara.

“So for the first few years of fielding it is probably most likely to be fielded with an artillery unit — in the pre-1970 borders of Morocco — held in high readiness for a conventional deployment,” Des Roches said.