On Tuesday, the US State Department approved a potential $4.25 billion sale of 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters, along with associated weapons and accessories, to Morocco. The West African country, which is closely aligned with Washington and Riyadh and fiercely anti-Iranian, is considered “a major Non-NATO ally.”
Sale of the three dozen attack helicopters and associated weaponry, parts and other equipment was allowed to move forward on Tuesday, according to a bulletin by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), a Pentagon bureau that handles foreign military sales.
“This proposed 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 is an important force for political stability and economic progress in North Africa,” the DSCA noted. “The proposed sale will improve Morocco's capability to meet current and future threats, and will enhance interoperability with US forces and other allied forces. Morocco will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense and provide close air support to its forces.”
The move follows a September decision to sell Rabat more than $1 billion in munitions, including smart bomb kits and TOW missiles, and an even bigger sale approved in March of 25 F-16V Viper fighter jets for $3.78 billion. Defense News noted following the September sale that Morocco had requested an…
