Morocco is entering a new phase in its drive to build a sovereign defense industry, according to L’Espace marocain, the scientific magazine of the Royal Air Force.
Over the past two decades, the Kingdom has strengthened its presence in global civil aviation and is now accelerating a strategic shift toward defense manufacturing, supported by new industrial zones, international partnerships and advanced military programs.
Central to this transition is Law 10‑20, adopted in 2020, which regulates the production, import and export of defense and security equipment while laying the groundwork for a domestic defense ecosystem.
The framework has attracted major players such as Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), a joint venture involving Moroccan, Belgian and American partners, including Lockheed Martin. In October 2025, the company began construction of a heavy-maintenance hangar in Benslimane, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign facilities and establish Morocco as a regional MRO hub.
Other initiatives reinforce this momentum such as Sabena Engineering, MEDZ, and Lockheed Martin who combined Moroccan skills with European and American expertise to boost local capabilities and technology transfer.
Meanwhile, Atlas Defense, a subsidiary of Turkey’s Baykar, is preparing to produce and maintain military drones, electronic systems and strategic surveillance equipment in Morocco.
In addition to that, Thales has inaugurated a metal additive manufacturing center in Casablanca, and Lockheed Martin is deepening cooperation in aeronautical maintenance and cybersecurity. India’s Metlonics Morocco is contributing to the production of components for advanced military vehicles.
Training is another key pillar, with UM6P emerging as a central partner for research and skills development in high‑tech defense fields.
According to the same publication, these projects collectively signal Morocco’s determination to build a fully integrated and sovereign defense industrial base—still emerging, but increasingly taking shape.
