The US Approves Possible Sale of Javelin Missiles to Morocco
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the U.S. State Department has decided to approve a Foreign Military Sale to the government of Morocco for Javelin Missiles and related equipment worth an estimated $260 million. According to the agency, the required certification and related documents announcing the potential sale were delivered to the US Congress on March 19, 2024.
The potential sale includes 612 Javelin FGM-148F missiles (12 fly-to-buy missiles) and 200 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLU). Other important aspects of the package include missile simulation rounds, Javelin support equipment, tools, publications, power and distribution equipment, component parts, logistics, and program support.
According to the DSCA “The proposed sale will improve Morocco’s long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to meet its national defense requirements. Morocco will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.” The agency also stated that the proposed sale would not change the basic military balance in the region.
The Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation, will be the primary contractors for the deal. A trip to Morocco by US government or contractor representatives is not required for the successful execution of this potential sale.
The Royal Moroccan Army currently has a large number and variety of anti-tank weapons. These include Ukrainian-made RK-3 Korsar and Stugna-P, American BGM-71 TOW and M47 Dragon, Russian/Soviet-made 9M133 Cornet, 9K115-2 Metis-M, 9M113 Konkurs, and 9M14 Malyutka, Chinese-made HJ-8L, Israeli-made Spike LR2 and Spike NLOS, the French HOT, LRAC-F1, and APILAS, and the German-made COBRA. While some of these systems can meet modern-day requirements, many are out of date and ineffective against current threats. If the US Congress does not object to the State Department’s decision, Morocco will also have the most advanced production version of the Javelin. This will allow the Royal Moroccan Army to retire some of its older anti-tank weapons while significantly increasing the army’s striking power with the Javelin, which is widely regarded as one of the most capable anti-tank missiles on the market.