Morocco is gearing up to strengthen its defense autonomy by partnering with industry leaders to begin domestic manufacturing of weaponry such as drones to achieve arms independence, according to Spanish military news magazine “Zona Militar.”
Ronen Nadir, CEO of Israeli company Blue Bird Aero Systems, a worldwide leader in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), confirmed the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Morocco that will start operations soon. He did not disclose any information about the exact timing or location.
Having previously relied on imports from Israel for defense systems like the Barak MX air and missile defense system and the Skylock Dome anti-drone system and others, Morocco is now looking to reinforce its defense capabilities through local manufacturing.
The drive to draw foreign defense industries to Morocco began last year, when Shai Cohen, former Head of the Tel Aviv liaison office, revealed in early June 2023 that the Israeli group Elbit Systems planned to set up two drone factories in Morocco. The diplomat indicated that one of these industrial sites will be located in Casablanca.
In November, Abdellatif Loudiyi, Morocco’s Minister Delegate for National Defense Administration, unveiled plans to establish military-specific industrial zones in Morocco.
In presenting his department’s 2024 budget, Loudiyi highlighted Morocco’s development of an advanced defense sector, fueled by partnerships and agreements with countries that are leaders in defense, and that it would develop equipment domestically to achieve autonomy for Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces.
Morocco currently has the second-largest military reserve of combat drones in Africa, numbering 233 military UAVs, behind Egypt’s 267 units, according to the latest report by online portal Military Africa.