Defense Industry: Morocco to Produce India’s Armored Combat Vehicle

Morocco is developing its defense industry to reduce its dependence on foreign weapons purchases and strengthen its military capabilities to counter threats to its national security.

After it adopted the legal frameworks governing military industry clusters and established military industry zones, the North African Kingdom attracted India ‘s “TATA Advanced Systems”, which has become one of the first international investors in the sector that is gaining momentum in the country.

Under a strategic partnership agreement sealed between Morocco’s National Defense Administration and the subsidiary of the giant TATA group, a plant will be set up in Morocco to produce armored combat vehicle WhAP 8×8 for the Moroccan army.

Tata Advanced Systems’ flagship product, WhAP 8×8 (Wheeled Armoured Platform) is India’s first infantry combat vehicle, designed for optimized survivability, all-terrain performance and increased lethality.

This project, to create several job opportunities, will make Morocco an emerging regional player in the defense industry. Moroccan Parliament had passed laws allowing the setting up of joint ventures in the defense industry as the country aspires to reduce arms imports.

In April, Israeli company Bluebird announced plans to open a production site of its unmanned aerial systems in Morocco. Several companies from the U.S. Europe, Latin America and Asia showed interests in the huge investment opportunities offered by the Moroccan defense industry offering.

In 2019, the North African Kingdom signed with Brazil an “investment cooperation and facilitation” in military industry. Under this agreement, Brazil pledges to share military science and technology, help in defense product acquisition and train Moroccan officers in advanced military technologies.

Several media outlets have published lately a photo of the first Morocco-made armed vehicle, a multi-mission track destined for armed forces.

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 is set to host foreign factories specialized in arms manufacturing by 2025.