Morocco plans to acquire several Merkava tanks of Israeli manufacture to strengthen its army. The two countries have strengthened their military cooperation since the normalization of their diplomatic relations in 2020.
Morocco is featured in the latest global ranking of military powers, compiled by Global Firepower.
The Navantia shipyards, located in Puerto Real and San Fernando, launched on Monday the construction of a specialized vessel for the Spanish Navy, the "Poseidon", as well as an offshore patrol vessel destined for the Royal Moroccan Navy.
Spain is watching with concern the military buildup of Morocco and Algeria . Madrid is concerned about the impact this arms race could have on the balance of power in the region.
Navantia will start on July 3, at its San Fernando site, the construction of the high-altitude patrol boat Avante 1800, ordered by the Royal Moroccan Navy. The announcement was made on Saturday by María Jesús Montero, the Spanish Minister of Finance and Public Function.
Morocco will receive its first Sherpa armored vehicles from the French manufacturer Renault, equipped with the Atlas RC air defense system, in the coming months.
Israel would currently be in discussions with two countries for the sale of used Merkava tanks, according to a source within the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Morocco would be one of them.
The United States has donated 500 military vehicles, worth more than $10 million, to Morocco. The operation took place at the end of African Lion, the military maneuvers co-organized by the two countries, which ended on June 16 in Agadir.
The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) of Morocco would have received a batch of SpyX suicide drones developed by the Israeli company BlueBird Aero System.
The Spanish navy has just deployed the amphibious assault ship Galicia (L-51) in the waters of Melilla, near Morocco. In recent months, Spain has strengthened its presence in the waters under its sovereignty (Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla).
The Israeli company Elbit Systems, a leader in the manufacture of defense systems, plans to open two factories in Morocco soon, announced Shai Cohen, head of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.
Members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) participated in intensive training in China where they were trained in the use of the Wing Loong II drones, two units of which the kingdom acquired last year.