Morocco is actively negotiating a possible purchase of the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system with the United States, opting for these weapons instead of Russia's S-400 for the purported fear of Washington's sanctions, Spanish media have alleged, citing sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2019) Morocco is actively negotiating a possible purchase of the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system with the United States, opting for these weapons instead of Russia's S-400 for the purported fear of Washington's sanctions, Spanish media have alleged, citing sources.According to the Defensa.com new portal, Morocco was until recently interested in buying Russian S-400 missile systems. However, for fear of being slapped by US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), the north African country has allegedly begun considering the possibility of opting for American air defense systems.
In November, US media reported that at least 13 countries, including Morocco, were interested in acquiring Russian S-400s. Back in December, Russian Ambassador in Rabat Valerian Shuvaev told Sputnik that, despite Morocco's interest in purchasing Russian military products, the two countries were not engaged in talks regarding possible deliveries of S-400 systems.
The United States has been trying to prevent other countries from buying Russian military products, in particular by invoking CAATSA in August 2017. The legislation envisions punitive measures for any third party that carries out major transactions with the sanctioned Russian companies, especially from the defense industry.
