Marruecos enviará pilotos a Estados Unidos para el uso de los helicópteros Apache

The purchase of 36 helicopters from the United States, 24 fixed and 12 optional, was approved in November last year by the US State Department. As a result of this purchase, Morocco is selecting its best pilots to be transferred to a US base in the state of Utah, where they will receive the necessary training to operate these aircraft.

In addition to the aircraft and the training that starts now, even before Morocco receives the purchased helicopters, the lot includes a batch of 600 Hellfire missiles, spare parts and APKWS rocket conversion systems, raising the total cost of the purchase to over 4 billion dollars. The Apache model would be the most up-to-date, the AH-64E Guardian version.

This purchase is part of an arms build-up in the Alaouite kingdom that is placing it at the military vanguard of the region. Washington and Rabat have been strengthening their trade ties in recent years in a manner that is both ostensible and alarming, if military considerations are taken into account, for the countries around them, chiefly Algeria. To these Apaches should be added the recent acquisition of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and Abrams armoured vehicles, among other capabilities.

The visit of the defence secretary Mark Esper to Morocco at the beginning of October ended with a collaboration agreement in the field of defence for the next decade. The agreement covers recent purchases of equipment and other planned aspects such as investment and the development of Morocco's military industry.

This good harmony in trade relations in the military field goes hand in hand with agreements in other sectors. Following US recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, the United States announced the development of investments in this territory in order to boost tourism, among other things.

Furthermore, the recent visit of a US delegation headed by the White House adviser Jared Kushner was received by the Moroccan monarch himself, Mohammed VI. In addition to formalising everything announced in previous days with respect to the Sahara and Israel, the meeting dealt with commercial aspects, as Adam Seth Boehler of the US International Development Finance Company was also present.