Forbes: Morocco, a rising drone power, reshaping regional order

Morocco’s acquisition of two combat-proven unmanned aerial systems, the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones and Israeli Harop loitering munitions, gives the North African Kingdom a decisive edge in any future conflict, says U.S. magazine Forbes.

The new press report is expected to exacerbate further the Algerian military junta’s concerns to see their neighbor enhancing its military capacities and airpower superiority.

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces ordered 13 TB2 drones from Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar back in April and began taking delivery of the first units on Sept. 17. The deal is worth $70 million and includes four pilot stations, adds the prestigious publication.

Two months after receiving its first TB2s, Morocco reportedly ordered another batch of six TB2s. The medium-altitude and long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles are cheaper than many other drones on the market. Also, they have a largely successful combat record in conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The TB2 and its accompanying munitions combine technical abilities with an affordability that means their commanders can tolerate some attrition while presenting real challenges to the enemy,” said British Defense Minister Ben Wallace last year.

In November, Morocco and Israel signed a cooperation agreement in defense industry during the visit Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz paid to Morocco after normalization of relations between the two countries in December 2020.

According to Frost & Sullivan group, a research and consulting firm, Morocco is set to become a weapons’ producing country in the few coming years as the country will host foreign factories specialized in arms manufacturing by 2025.