Morocco Bolsters Defense with Israeli and Turkish Weapons, Citing Deterrence Against Algeria

Morocco has acquired all the Israeli and Turkish defense systems (Harop, Barak 8 missile, Bayraktar TB2 armed drones) except the Israeli quasi-ballistic missiles LORA, which allowed Azerbaijan to win the second Nagorno-Karabakh war - populated mainly by Armenians and which seceded from Azerbaijan with Armenian support - against the Armenian forces, which took place from September to November 2020, according to the American magazine Forbes. In the deadly fighting in the Caucasus region, the Russian weapons used by Armenia did not withstand the fury of the Israeli and Turkish weapons possessed by the Azerbaijani forces.

In addition to these weapons, Morocco would recently have received the advanced Barak MX air defense system, which it ordered from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) as part of a $500 million deal concluded in 2022. The kingdom has also acquired Chinese drones. It would also plan to acquire the Turkish Akinci drone. Much larger and more sophisticated and equipped with advanced sensors, this drone can carry much larger quantities of ammunition than its predecessor TB2.

With its new and upcoming acquisitions, Morocco is strengthening its armaments but is also modernizing its army to face current security challenges. The kingdom is also trying to deter any potential aggression by the Algerian army. In August 2021, Algiers, the protector of the Polisario, a political, military and independence movement that controls part of Western Sahara, had unilaterally severed ties with Rabat due to "hostile acts". Since then, tensions have been increasingly high between the two countries. And the hypothesis of a war is often mentioned.