More than 43,000 military radios: the United States is preparing a new market, and Morocco is already part of the system
The US military is preparing a new contract for tactical radios for its foreign partners. More than 43,000 systems are being considered. Morocco is already among the countries served by the current contract awarded to L3Harris.
The Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground launched a market survey on September 10 to prepare a future contract for the supply of radios, communications equipment and associated services. Companies had until September 17 to respond, according to the notice published on SAM.gov.
The projected needs are considerable: more than 16,300 handheld radios, 10,900 systems transportable by a soldier, 10,900 radios installed on vehicles and 5,500 configurations usable onboard and then carried into the field. The future contract is to cover a period of four and a half years.
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These volumes correspond to all the anticipated needs under US military sales to several allied countries. The notice nevertheless requires the future equipment to be fully compatible with the L3Harris radios currently in service. This continuity comes as the United States also wants to test its future military technologies in Morocco.
Morocco is among the customers of the current contract
The link with the kingdom appears in the framework contract currently used by the same US command. Referenced as W91CRB21D5003, it covers L3Harris high-frequency radios, their accessories, spare parts, training and services intended for Foreign Military Sales programs.
Federal data compiled by HigherGov explicitly cite Morocco among the beneficiary countries, alongside Spain, France, Tunisia, Nigeria and Poland in particular. Awarded in 2021, this contract now has a ceiling of 3.795 billion dollars and is due to expire in December 2026.
Morocco’s presence in this ecosystem dates back further. In 2016, the Pentagon awarded Harris Corporation a contract worth up to 405.5 million dollars under military sales to Morocco. It involved SINCGARS tactical radios, spare parts, installation kits, as well as training and field support, according to the US Department of Defense.
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The next contract is to adopt this structure on a much larger scale, with handheld radios, onboard systems, communications security equipment and operational support services.
The distribution among the different countries is not yet known. But the requirement for compatibility with L3Harris equipment already deployed places Morocco among the partners likely to continue sourcing through this US system.