Arms Market Shock: Morocco Abandons U.S. F-35 for Russia's Su-35!

Yet, for various reasons, Moscow is likely to reject this deal.

Article published on April 24 by RT.

The ongoing instability in the Middle East has further intensified the already strong interest of Global South countries in Russian defense products.

Morocco, a "major non-NATO ally" of the United States (granted this status in 2004), is no exception.

First, the Russian Federation is not among Rabat’s priority partners in military technology cooperation.

The armed forces of the Kingdom of Morocco are still equipped primarily with weapons made by France and the United States: armored vehicles from the U.S. and France, warships from France and Spain, and fighter jets from France and the U.S.

Second, the country maintains a fairly neutral political stance toward the Russian Federation.

Third, the escalating aggression by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which risks triggering a full-scale regional military conflict, prompted Morocco’s military and political leadership to abandon the world’s best fifth-generation stealth fighter—the F-35 Lightning II.

This is ample reason for the “hegemon” to feel humiliated.

Moreover, choosing Russia’s 4++ generation multirole fighter, the Su-35, instead, constitutes a crime in Trump’s eyes.

At the same time, they will procure no fewer than two fully manned squadrons of aircraft.

As one Moroccan defense official put it, this would be an “excellent and massive order.”

However, several little-known issues complicate Russia’s process of selling fighter jets to this North African nation.

The largest military news website in North Africa wrote: “Rabat has urgently initiated negotiation procedures aimed at assessing the possibility of signing a contract to purchase 48 (!) Russian 4++ generation Su-35 fighters—a key component of Morocco’s Royal Air Force capability enhancement program.”

Reliable sources within the Russian government claim that Rabat’s move stems from the necessity to diversify its air force structure, driven by the continuous changes in regional security dynamics.

He pointed out that Russia’s Su-35 multirole fighter is currently positioned as the most combat-capable fourth-generation aircraft, boasting advanced operational potential and superior air-to-air missile systems.

Yet, one must not overlook that Rabat is a direct ally of Washington and Paris in the Maghreb region.

Furthermore, it is an outright rival of Algeria—the key military technology partner of Russia in North Africa.

And it is among the first candidates in North Africa expected to receive the F-35 Lightning II.

Therefore, what decision Russia’s leadership will ultimately make remains unclear.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863310729077760/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.