Agadir – Morocco has joined two US Army online procurement platforms designed to help allied countries acquire drones and counter-drone systems faster, as Washington expands the initiative to more international defense partners.
The US Army announced the development on October 13, following a signing ceremony at the 2026 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC.
Morocco joined Albania, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, and Panama in signing Statements of Intent to participate in the two marketplaces, which cover unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS).
The ceremony brought together senior defense officials and military representatives from the eight countries, alongside US Army leaders, including Acting Secretary of the Army Adam R. Telle and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Brent G. Ingraham.
According to the US Army, the agreements formalize the countries’ participation in two secure online platforms that aim to simplify the procurement of drone and counter-drone technologies through established government-to-government arrangements.
“Today’s Statement of Intent signing marks a critical milestone in transforming warfighting procurement at the speed of business,” Telle said.
“These digital marketplaces tear down legacy bureaucratic barriers and help rapidly equip our Soldiers with every competitive advantage to remain the most lethal and capable fighting force the world has ever seen,” he added.
Telle also said the initiative seeks to establish open architecture at both tactical and strategic levels.
“By bringing our allies and partners onto a unified, online purchasing platform, we are delivering lethal, decisive capability at scale while strengthening the collective defense industrial base,” he maintained.
US Army aims to cut procurement timelines
The initiative introduces a streamlined procurement process known as the “FMS Fast Lane,” which allows participating countries to order pre-cleared, standard-configuration drones and counter-drone systems through existing contracts.
The US Army said it had completed key export requirements in advance, including technology transfer approvals, marketing licenses, and foreign disclosure clearances, to reduce delays in the traditional Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.
The approach can shorten the development of FMS cases from months to days, according to the announcement.
“Our mission with the UAS and Counter-UAS Marketplaces is simple: deliver commercial agility within an accountable, government-to-government framework,” Ingraham said.
“With standardized auto-generated Letters of Offer and Acceptance and pre-negotiated contract vehicles, allied partners can now move from request to purchase in days rather than months,” he added.
The platforms therefore provide a faster procurement pathway for participating countries.
Morocco joins expanding international framework
The October signing builds on an earlier agreement reached in June 2026 at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, where the US Army signed initial Statements of Intent with nine European partners: Denmark, France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Since then, 29 countries and partners across the Indo-Pacific, European, Central, and American commands have joined the marketplace framework, the US Army said.
The current list of signatories includes Morocco alongside countries such as Australia, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan.
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