Morocco has requested the purchase of 25 M88A2 combat recovery vehicles at $239.35 million, with the US State Department approving the possible military sale.

The State Department on 3 March announced that Morocco’s request covers 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and/or refurbished M88A1 HERCULES vehicles and related equipment, which includes 25 M2 12.7 mm machineguns, 25 SINCGARS air and ground radios, 25 GPS systems, 30 AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer (DVE) kits, 25 M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, 1 800 M76 (G826) or L8A1/L8A3 (G815) smoke grenade rounds as well as spares, training and support.

Additionally, the following recommended essential load ammunition may be included upon request from Morocco: 25 000 12.7 mm cartridges, 300 G815 smoke grenades, 2 500 armour piercing incendiary 12.7 mm tracer rounds, 91 800 4 ball/1 tracer linked 12.7 mm rounds and 54 000 12.7 mm blank rounds.

The principal contractor will be BAE Systems of York, Pennsylvania.

Morocco has been acquiring Abrams tanks from the United States over several years. Between 2016 and 2018 Morocco took delivery of 222 second hand Abrams tanks refurbished to M1A1SA standard before delivery at the cost of over $1 billion.