Morocco has joined the U.S. Army’s specialized Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS digital procurement marketplaces, enabling U.S. allies to benefit from reduced purchasing times from months to just few days.
Besides Morocco, Panama, Japan, Albania, Kuwait, Croatia, Canada, and Egypt have signed documents to access the US army exclusive online platform which aims to streamline foreign military sales.
The signing ceremony was held lately in Washington DC on the sidelines of the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Acting U.S. Army Secretary Adam Telle told attendees at the ceremony that the Army must focus on making unmanned systems.
“We also need to be thinking about open architecture at the strategic level, and that means open architecture with our partners,” said Telle, adding that this includes sharing tactics, techniques and procedures, plus common equipment. “This is a great step forward in that direction.”
The U.S. Army has pre-vetted all systems for export, performance and cyber-security to allow allies to purchase systems without hurdles. It offers drones and drone-killing technology through Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS interfaces.
“What once took months, takes days with these pre-vetted capabilities,” Brent Ingraham, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said.