Morocco Shifts Away from French Arms, Favors US Military Equipment

Morocco has recorded a drop in orders, particularly in France, which has gone from 425.9 million euros in 2020 to 95.2 million euros in 2021. This decline is certainly linked to the increased focus of the Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) on American armaments, in order to improve compatibility with the United States and to be able to counter Russian armaments in Algeria, according to the specialized website on arms sales, Sipri. The kingdom is now on the list of the smallest customers (less than 200 million euros). It is one of the six countries that have acquired the 273 Caesar artillery systems offered by the manufacturer Nexter.

However, Morocco remains France’s top customer in the Maghreb, far ahead of Algeria (13.9 million euros) and Tunisia (2.4 million euros).

According to the latest edition of the annual report to Parliament on arms exports, they reached 11.7 billion euros in 2021, three times more than the 2020 figure, a year affected by the Covid crisis. "This assessment allows France to further consolidate its position among the world’s top three exporters," [behind the United States and Russia, editor’s note], the authors of the report are pleased to say.