Morocco aims to “strengthen [son] independence” in the production of weapons. For this, the kingdom seeks to develop a local military industry, in particular with the manufacture of intelligence and combat drones, said Saturday the Moroccan minister in charge of the administration of National Defense, Abdellatif Loudyi.
The Moroccan government wants to develop “certain sectors of the military industry, in particular those of arms and ammunition, as well as the manufacture of drones capable of carrying out intelligence, surveillance and armed attack operations, in addition to aircraft maintenance military”, indicated the minister quoted in the minutes of a parliamentary meeting on the draft budget allocated to defense for 2023.
Licenses for the development of military industries
Abdellatif Loudyi, who gave no further information on the nature of these operations, said that a project to build a military aircraft maintenance factory had been entrusted to an international company specializing in the region of Benslimane, north of Casablanca. He further pointed out that the government has already passed a law paving the way for the granting of licenses for the development of military industries.
Moroccan and Israeli media reported in November 2021 on a $22 million contract – not officially confirmed – between Rabat and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel’s leading public aeronautical group, for the delivery of “kamikaze drones” . Citing a Moroccan security source, the news site Yabiladi indicated that the military cooperation agreement concluded between Morocco and Israel also includes the “launch of two industrial units for the manufacture of unmanned aircraft”.
In addition, Rabat already uses unmanned aircraft for intelligence and border surveillance purposes, according to Moroccan military experts. Last April, one of the leaders of the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front was killed following a Moroccan drone strike, according to certain information that has not been officially confirmed.