Morocco Bolsters Military with $524M US Rocket System, Raising Regional Tensions

Although the chances of a direct military confrontation between Spain and Morocco seem low, the continuous strengthening of Moroccan military capabilities with the acquisition of 18 HIMARS and 40 JSOW glide bombs widens the gap with Spain, whose armed forces are not equipped with any such weapons systems. The question that arises is whether Spain could defend itself against a possible Moroccan attack with its current outdated weapons systems.

Spain’s main defense weapon, capable of countering the future Moroccan HIMARS, is the American Patriot. Spain acquired two units in 2002 from Germany, as part of NATO’s plan to protect its southern flank through the Strait of Gibraltar. The Patriots have a radar system capable of detecting enemy missiles or aircraft within a 150-kilometer radius. Their effectiveness is limited to a distance of about 80 kilometers at an altitude of 20,000 meters, reports El Español.

The Spanish Patriots are undergoing an upgrade to be able to launch up to 16 projectiles. Spain has planned 146 million euros in its 2023 military budget for this modernization project. In addition to the Patriot, Spain also has four units of the Norwegian NASAMS II air defense system, acquired in 2003, about thirty Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK anti-aircraft missiles, a relic of the Cold War, put into service in 1962 and which has been the subject of several upgrades, and 640 French Mistral 3 short-range anti-aircraft missiles.

But Spain’s powerful weapon is its five Aegis F-100 frigates developed by the United States. It is a combat system equipped with a radar that allows to counter land, sea and air attacks. Morocco, for its part, continues to acquire weapons from the United States (F-16, Abrams, Predator, F-35) and Israel (Barak MX). Despite these acquisitions, the kingdom is still far from Spanish military power, according to the 2023 ranking of Global Firepower, in which Spain is ranked 21st and Morocco 61st out of 145 armies in the world in terms of manpower, vehicles and technological capabilities.