Moroccan Army: The purchase of Stinger missiles creates unease in Spain

If the future Moroccan F-35s are superior to the Spanish F-18s and Eurofighters, the Stinger missiles, particularly the FIM-92 K Stinger Block I that Morocco has just ordered, are clearly more advanced than all the Spanish combat helicopters. These missiles manufactured by Raytheon for the US army and allied countries, have been designed to shoot down low-altitude aircraft and helicopters, reports Vozpopuli, specifying that these devices with a range of 4 to 5 kilometers, can reach a speed of 750 meters per second, have better resistance to interference and a great capacity to target and destroy drones and small aircraft.

The Stinger missiles can be fired from the shoulder or from light ground platforms. They are also effective in hotter than normal climates, such as deserts, making them the perfect weapon to shoot down other low-altitude cruise missiles, light aircraft, drones and attack helicopters. In rivalry with Algeria, with the Sahara issue in the background, and taking into account the threats of geopolitical crises at the regional and international level, Morocco has been trying to acquire cutting-edge systems and weapons for about ten years.

Meanwhile, Spain seems to be content with the Tiger (HA-28/HAD) combat helicopters, the NH90 (HT-29 Caiman) troop transport and medical evacuation helicopters, the Super Puma/Cougar (AS332/AS532) rescue and humanitarian aid helicopters and the Chinook (CH-47F) cargo, vehicle and heavy equipment transport helicopters, the Sea Hawk and SH-60B used for maritime surveillance and sea rescues, and the AB-212 dedicated to support missions on the coast, rescues and light transport. In analysis, Spain, which only has F-18s and Eurofighters with much lower precision and capability, fears the future Moroccan Stinger missile.