The United States Department of Defense has approved a deal to supply long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles to five countries, including Morocco. Production for these nations is expected to be completed by 2028, according to a recent statement.
“Army Recognition,” a site specializing in defense contracts, revealed details of this $226.8 million contract on Thursday. Lockheed Martin will manufacture these missiles for Morocco, Poland, and three Baltic countries: Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
The ATACMS missile, produced by Lockheed Martin, is a long-range guided missile that can be launched from various systems, including the HIMARS system, which Morocco has previously acquired. This missile is designed to resemble standard MLRS payloads, concealing its capabilities from adversaries. It features enhanced GPS guidance and a 500 lb (230 kg) WDU18 blast fragmentation warhead, ensuring precision and effectiveness over a range of 300 km.
Specialized media reports indicated that the United States has previously supplied this missile to Ukraine, where it has proven effective against Russian weaponry. This effectiveness has prompted Moscow to study its specifications to develop countermeasures.
The Russian war on Ukraine has served as a field test for various weapons, both those manufactured by Russia and those produced by Western countries, particularly the United States. The US has provided significant support to Kyiv in the form of numerous weapon supplies.
Since Moscow launched its war on Ukraine two years ago, Morocco has entered into several arms deals, focusing on weapons that have demonstrated success and effectiveness in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This indicates that the Moroccan military is closely monitoring developments in the military confrontations between the two sides.
