Helis, May 23, 2019 - Moroccan sources reported that the country will receive Boeing AH-64 Apaches within the next two years but they not revealed variant or quantity.
Morocco was involved in a year-long negotiation for the acquisition of the Boeing-made attack aircraft.
The decision was made after rejecting the TAI T129 which, according Moroccan authorities, did not satisfy expectations during a recent Syrian deployment.
The government expects to use these new gunships to protect its borders from drug trafficking, illegal migration and smuggling.
Morocco will be the second African country to operate this model after Egypt which received its first examples in 1995.
The Apache is main attack helicopter of the US Army, British Army, Israel, Japan, South Korea and dozen more countries. India is in the process of receiving 22 AH-64E.
According the 2018 Trends in World Military Expenditure report released in April 2019 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Morocco’s military budget increased from $3.2 billion in 2012 to 3.5 in 2018 and 62% of all weapons acquisitions were from US-origin.
Morocco was involved in a year-long negotiation for the acquisition of the Boeing-made attack aircraft.
The decision was made after rejecting the TAI T129 which, according Moroccan authorities, did not satisfy expectations during a recent Syrian deployment.
The government expects to use these new gunships to protect its borders from drug trafficking, illegal migration and smuggling.
Morocco will be the second African country to operate this model after Egypt which received its first examples in 1995.
The Apache is main attack helicopter of the US Army, British Army, Israel, Japan, South Korea and dozen more countries. India is in the process of receiving 22 AH-64E.
According the 2018 Trends in World Military Expenditure report released in April 2019 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Morocco’s military budget increased from $3.2 billion in 2012 to 3.5 in 2018 and 62% of all weapons acquisitions were from US-origin.
See also |
AH-64E Apache in Royal Moroccan Air Force