Morocco Boosts Military Budget to $12.2 Billion, Expands Arsenal with US and Israeli Weapons

With a record budget of 124.7 billion dirhams ($12.2 billion) for 2024 (a 5% increase over the 2023 budget), Morocco will give a boost to the modernization of its army next year. In total, 116 billion dirhams have been dedicated this year to the strengthening and modernization of the Moroccan army, recalls Morocco World News.

The kingdom has acquired the American "HIMARS" missile system, for an amount exceeding half a billion dollars, the sophisticated Israeli "Pulse" missiles, including the "BARAK-MX". Together, they form an impregnable defensive shield. The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) have also received this year an improved version of the advanced defensive and anti-tank missiles "TOW", a crucial development strengthening the defensive capabilities of Moroccan armored vehicles. These arms purchases lead Abderrahman Mkaoui, an expert in military and strategic affairs, to affirm that 2023 has been "a year of preparation and accelerated development of the offensive and defensive systems of the Royal Armed Forces". He also described the substantial technological advances as a hallmark of the year.

The fleet of the Royal Moroccan Air Force has expanded this year with the acquisition of 24 "Apache" helicopters to strengthen the country’s surveillance and attack capabilities against potential threats to Moroccan territory; from the Israeli drone, "SpyX", spotted in the Moroccan desert, alongside the Turkish "Akinci", the Chinese drone "Wing Loong 2", etc. "The most striking event in 2023 for the Moroccan army has been the acceleration of the military industry workshops in collaboration with international partners," stressed Mohammed Akdizid, another security expert. And he added: "This year has paved the way for strengthening Morocco’s strategic position in the modernization of weapons through various strategic agreements with India, China, Spain, Turkey and Israel."

After all these acquisitions, the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are preparing to conclude 2023 with enhanced preparation on land, at sea and in the air domains.