Morocco Deploys Chinese Long-Range Air Defense System FD-2000B

Morocco received the first batch of the FD-2000B system this year and commissioned it a few weeks ago. This air defense system, which is an improved version of the HQ-9B, has a range of 250 km, Defensa reports.

The devices were received at the military base located in Sidi Yahya El Gharb, 60 km north of Rabat, which covers an area of 420,000 m2 and has various storage and maintenance facilities, an administrative headquarters and residential buildings. It will also be able to accommodate the medium-range air defense systems Sky Dragon 50, which Morocco acquired from China in 2017.

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The commissioning of this military base is an important step for Morocco, which has just strengthened its air forces. Since the 1970s, the latter had only short-range air defense systems such as the M-163 VADS and the M-48 Chaparral.

The FD-2000B is a long-range air defense system capable of intercepting aerial and ballistic targets, with a range of 200 km, an interception altitude of 30 km and a radar detection range of 280 km. It is designed and manufactured in China by CASIC Defense Corporation (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation).

Morocco also wants to acquire other air defense systems such as Patriot from the United States and Barak-8 from Israel.