Elbit Systems is seeking to persuade Morocco to adopt a new training program for Royal Air Force pilots. The Israeli group is proposing a model inspired by systems it already operates in the United Kingdom and Greece. No agreement has yet been reached.
Already tasked with modernizing the Royal Air Force’s C-130s, American company L3Harris is preparing to arrive in Marrakech with another military aircraft: the SKY RAIDER II INTERNATIONAL, designed for armed surveillance, precision strikes and counter-drone operations.
A member of the Polisario Front was reportedly killed in an airstrike targeting suspicious movements east of the defense wall, in the Sahara. The operation is attributed to a drone belonging to the Royal Armed Forces (FAR).
Morocco now reportedly holds an advantage over Spain in a field that has become central to modern armed forces: drones. This is the assessment made by Francisco Bendala, a former Spanish lieutenant-colonel, who nevertheless acknowledges Madrid’s superiority in the air and at sea.
Morocco is reportedly rapidly strengthening its air defenses in the north of the country. Radars, artillery and anti-aircraft systems are said to be deployed to form a “bubble” whose coverage could, according to a Spanish military source, reach southern Spain.
Before authorizing the sale of two naval drones to Morocco, the Dutch government examined the risk of them being used in the conflict in the Sahara. The Hague ultimately gave the green light, deeming such a scenario unlikely.
Rabat will host SOCAFRICA’s main annual symposium in December. US and Moroccan forces will bring together military delegations and industry representatives around drones, autonomous robots, exoskeletons, night-vision equipment, small arms and other technologies intended for special operations.
From Morocco to Saudi Arabia, Turkey has established its armed drones in the main Arab militaries. TB2, Akinci, Anka-S and Aksungur now equip countries that are sometimes rivals, turning Ankara into an indispensable supplier for the Maghreb and the Gulf.
Algeria may have gained a technological advantage over Morocco in the fighter jet race. The reported arrival of the first Russian Su-57s contrasts with Rabat’s discussions, which have still made no concrete progress toward acquiring the American F-35.
Harmattan AI does not plan merely to manufacture its systems in Morocco. The defense company is developing a new fixed-wing drone in Rabat, whose trials will be conducted at several Moroccan sites, including vast areas located in the south of the country.
Following the United States, NATO is also counting on Morocco to train African military personnel. A session of the DEEP programme is to be organised in the kingdom by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
Commissioned by the Swedish Ministry of Defence, a FOI report finds that Morocco now has a “clear military and political advantage” in the Sahara. HIMARS, Apaches and drones have strengthened its capabilities against a Polisario judged incapable of dislodging it by force.