Morocco defense industry: creation of company to produce components of WhAP 8×8 armored vehicle

Morocco’s defense industry is gaining momentum with the establishment of a local company dedicated to the production of components for the WhAP 8×8 armored vehicle in collaboration with India’s Tata Advanced Systems.

Based in Casablanca, Metlonics Morocco SARLAU will produce essential parts for the WhAP 8×8 armored vehicles designed for the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.

WhAP 8×8 (Wheeled Armored Platform) is India’s first infantry combat vehicle, designed for optimized survivability, all-terrain performance and increased lethality. The vehicle is designed for a variety of combat missions, including troop transport and reconnaissance, with a focus on protection, mobility, and firepower.

The setting up of Metlonics Morocco confirms the Kingdom’s determination to advance its defense industry, reduce its dependence on arms imports and develop a competitive defense eco-system building on its success in automotive and aeronautics sectors.

Last January, Turkish Baykar Company announced its decision to install a manufacturing site of military drones in the North African Kingdom. Baykar, a global leader in drone industry, has set up a Moroccan subsidiary, named “Atlas Defence”, based in Rabat.

The Moroccan plant is dedicated to the design, production, and maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), along with the manufacturing of spare parts and technological systems for the defense sector.

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.

Bluebird company had also announced plans to open a production site of its unmanned aerial systems in Morocco.