Morocco building its own defense industry to reduce dependence on foreign-made weapons

Morocco is busy working to reduce its dependence on foreign-made weapons by developing its own defense industry, said Defenseweb online publication.

To reach its strategic goal, Morocco signed in 2019 with Brazil an agreement to share military technology. The agreement, which includes “investment cooperation and facilitation” in military industry, is the first of its kind between Brazil and a Maghreb country, added the specialized South African news platform.

Under this agreement, Brazil pledges to share military science and technology, help in defense product acquisition and train Moroccan officers in advanced military technologies.

In February, Brazil’s Senate Foreign Relations & National Defense Committee approved a draft decree for a defense cooperation agreement with Morocco. The deal, which was already approved by Brazil’s lower House, still needs the Senate’s endorsement before implementation.

The cooperation agreement between Brazil and Morocco is part of Rabat’s strategy of diversifying its security partnerships globally. In 2022, the country’s military spending amounted to $5 billion, almost 4% of its GDP.

The US is Morocco’s major arms supplier, followed by France, other European countries and China. In 2020, Morocco’s House of Representatives passed a law seeking to attract foreign investment, promote innovation and expand the country’s defense industrial base.

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.