Morocco reaffirms Lockheed Martin partnership at defence show
Morocco has reaffirmed its strategic partnership with US defence contractor, Lockheed Martin, as reported by the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on February 9th.
Abdellatif Loudiyi, the Kingdom’s Minister for Defence, toured the World Defence Show, currently being held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The exhibition showcases the latest defence technology and is attended by leading military contractors.
Loudiyi was photographed at the Lockheed Martin stand, with the company writing on X that, “Airpower, local supply chain integration and [maintenance, repair and operations] capability continue to define our decades-long partnership with Morocco.”
Morocco’s partnership with Lockheed Martin began in 1974 with the delivery of the C-130H Hercules tactical airlifter to the Royal Moroccan Air Force.
In June 2025, Morocco reportedly sought to reach a deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase F-35 fighter jets. This would make Morocco the first Arab and African country to acquire the aircraft, as US policy has historically restricted its sale to all allies apart from Israel.
The contractor also supplied Morocco with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in 2023, with Morocco paying $524.2 million for the equipment.
Military ties with Morocco and the US have been developing, as evidenced in October 2025 when representatives from both countries met in Rabat to discuss defence cooperation.
However, the US is not the only country with which Morocco has developed defence ties; the Kingdom also signed a defence partnership with Israel on January 9th.
Under this agreement, Israeli contractors, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), would supply Morocco with a range of equipment, including the Barak MX air defence system.
Furthermore, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the so-called “Board of Peace” in Gaza, which would oversee the governance and reconstruction of the wartorn Palestinian enclave.
This is despite the apparent lack of Palestinian representation on the board, which had led to some critics labelling the proposal as a colonial endeavour.
Morocco’s links with US and Israeli defence contractors have continued to grow, despite concerns that the arms companies are complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 71,000 people since October 2023.
North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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