Morocco is actively pursuing maritime defense deals following a meeting between the Royal Navy and its American counterpart, along with representatives from US defense sales, held yesterday, as reported by “Arab Defense” specialized in Arab countries’ armament affairs and corroborated by other sources. Among the notable acquisitions, the Moroccan authorities have expressed interest in purchasing decommissioned naval assets, with the USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300) being one of the prominent choices.
The announcement comes in the wake of the United States’ recent declaration of formally decommissioning 39 naval assets, which will either be dismantled or sold to allied nations. To ensure a seamless and efficient process of military imports, the US military has implemented a new policy for selling weapons to allied countries, creating a framework for security cooperation officers to study and assess such requests.
Given Washington’s concern about potential technological breaches and arms ending up in the hands of hostile nations, comprehensive reviews and updates are underway for the relevant administration policies. This includes the establishment of more effective foreign disclosure systems and communications security release decisions.
The partnership between the American and Moroccan navies has been marked by fruitful and ongoing coordination, best exemplified during the “African Lion” exercises, where top-tier training involving major US destroyers like the “USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51)” took place. These exercises focused on maritime interdiction operations, air defense drills, anti-submarine warfare, and naval firing exercises.
With a desire to enhance its maritime defense capabilities, Morocco aims to bolster its naval system, building on its diverse military acquisitions in the air and land domains, all as part of the country’s military modernization policy, guided by King Mohammed VI.