Pentagon Approves Morocco's Purchase of Patriot Air Defense System

Rabat – Pentagon has approved a deal between Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest arms manufacturer, and Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces to provide the North African country with the US air defense system.

Rabat – Pentagon has approved a deal between Lockheed Martin, the world’s biggest arms manufacturer, and Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces to provide the North African country with the US air defense system.

According to Inside Defense, Lockheed Martin is preparing to intensify production of advanced Patriot-3 missiles in 2022 with a new manufacturing line to respond to the orders of a number of US allies, including Morocco.

Scott Arnold, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s integrated air and missile defense vice president, said a new PAC-3 MSE production line in Camden, Arkansas, “will be ready next year to support strong demand for the high velocity hit-to-kill, surface-to-air missile.”

“We are increasing our production rate up to 500 missiles a year to keep up with the demand domestically and internationally,” Arnold told Inside Defense during the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference.

“We have customers that span from Europe through the Middle East over to the INDOPACOM region,” he added.

In 2019, The US administration and Morocco negotiated the supply of the MIM-104 Patriot American air defense system with the aim of improving the defense capability of the Royal Armed Forces.

The US also approved a $4.25 billion arms package for the Moroccan armed forces, including 36 heavyweight AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and other associated weapons and maintenance equipment.