Morocco Deploys Armed Turkish Drones to Monitor Borders Near Spanish Enclaves

Morocco acquired 13 of these Turkish drones in 2021. A first batch was received in September last year, after the procurement contract with the Turkish company was signed in April. In July, Moroccan soldiers were in Turkey to undergo training on the handling of this drone which can be used for surveillance or as a weapon of destruction, recalls Ok Diario.

These Bayraktar drones are used by Morocco "for border control" with Ceuta and Melilla and in the fight against drug trafficking networks. Military sources indicate that these drones operate from the Sidi Slimane base, regularly used by American planes for logistical stopovers.

To read: Melilla to Deploy Drones for Border Surveillance as Morocco Crossing Reopens

The presence of these drones near the border of Ceuta and Melilla has provoked the reaction of the Vox party, whose parliamentary group has addressed a question to the government to find out if it was aware of this Moroccan deployment. In response, the Spanish government stressed that "each country is sovereign to manage the surveillance of its borders with the means it deems appropriate".

Manufactured by the Baykar company, this drone can support a payload of more than 55 kilos. Introduced into service in 2014, the Bayraktar TB2 was manufactured for the Turkish Air Force, which has 75 units. In 2018, Qatar bought six units. That same year, Ukraine also acquired twelve units of this drone for 69 million euros. These drones have allowed it to cope with the Russian invasion.