United States-Morocco: Washington Prepares a Strategic Military Partnership Until 2036

Thursday 25 June 2026 - 18:32

The military partnership between Morocco and the United States could take a significant new step. The American defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2027 (National Defense Authorization Act – NDAA 2027) outlines a roadmap aimed at sustainably strengthening bilateral cooperation, with a vision extending until 2036. This direction confirms Morocco's strategic position in Washington's security architecture, at the crossroads of African, Mediterranean, and transatlantic issues.

Presented by the Senate Armed Services Committee, this strategic document stipulates that the U.S. Secretary of Defense must develop a comprehensive plan within 180 days to deepen defense relations between the two countries. The text also references a roadmap covering the period 2026-2036, illustrating the United States' commitment to embedding its cooperation with Morocco in a long-term perspective.

Military Infrastructures Set to Strengthen

The project emphasizes the development of new joint operational capabilities. Among the proposed initiatives is the creation of cooperative security sites aimed at improving joint crisis preparedness and enhancing regional stability.

The text also calls for the study of an investment-sharing program to modernize old airstrips historically used by the U.S. Air Force. Such modernization would increase the capacity to accommodate next-generation military aircraft and consolidate Morocco's role as a strategic logistics platform between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Simultaneously, the document supports the continued modernization of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), particularly through the acquisition of American defense equipment and the development of training infrastructures tailored to the requirements of multidomain operations.

Drones, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity at the Heart of Cooperation

One of the most innovative aspects of the project concerns defense technologies. The text envisions the establishment of a center of excellence for drones in Morocco, intended to support joint operations and serve as a reference platform for future technological partnerships between the two countries.

This evolution would be accompanied by a transformation of joint military exercises, notably African Lion, which could integrate more scenarios related to cybersecurity, drone operations and counter-drone measures, underwater technologies, hybrid warfare, protection of critical infrastructure, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in military operations.

This approach reflects the evolution of American strategic priorities, where emerging technologies now play a central role in operational preparedness.

Moroccan Phosphate, a Strategic Issue

The bill is not limited to military aspects. It also highlights the importance of Morocco's strategic resources, particularly phosphates.

In a section dedicated to essential supply chains for the American defense industry, the document calls for an assessment of U.S. dependence on major global producers. Morocco appears among the strategic suppliers, alongside other major producers, due to its significant phosphate reserves, a raw material essential for several high-tech and defense industries.

This recognition underscores Morocco's growing weight in the economic and industrial balances related to international security.

A Cooperation Set to Strengthen

Through this bill, Washington expresses its intention to expand its partnership with Rabat far beyond traditional military cooperation. The development of infrastructures, integration of new technologies, modernization of defense capabilities, and securing supply chains testify to a relationship poised to deepen over the next decade.

This evolution confirms Morocco's positioning as a major strategic partner of the United States, both in security and industrial terms, in a geopolitical environment marked by the emergence of new regional and international challenges.