Morocco to equip combat drones with UAE-made guided weapons, including 15-km-range bomb
Moroccan combat drones will be fitted with munitions made in the United Arab Emirates. Behind the contract signed in Marrakech is another partnership that helps explain the choice: UAE-based EDGE works with Baykar, the Turkish manufacturer of drones used by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.
On October 9, at the Marrakech Air Show, the National Defense Administration signed a contract with EDGE to equip Moroccan combat drones with two guided weapons. The group will supply the munitions and handle their integration into the aircraft, reports Janes.
The first, Desert Sting 16, is a 23-kg glide bomb with a stated range of up to 15 kilometers. The second, Thunder P-31, converts a conventional Mk 81 bomb into a guided munition, with a range of up to 10 kilometers when released from a drone.
The contract covers aircraft modifications and the software adaptations required to use these weapons. The deal therefore concerns arming drones already in service in Morocco.
A Turkish-Emirati partnership already well underway
Morocco uses, among others, the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı made by Turkish manufacturer Baykar, as well as Chinese Wing Loong II drones. This variety explains the appeal of a supplier able to adapt its weapons to multiple platforms.
EDGE and Baykar have been working together since 2024 to integrate the Desert Sting 16 with the TB2. In May 2026, the two manufacturers signed a new agreement to adapt Al Tariq munitions for the Akıncı and jointly market some of their solutions.
In Marrakech, Rabat also signed a memorandum of understanding with EDGE exploring local production of small arms and aircraft engines in partnership with Moroccan companies, according to Emirati news agency WAM.
Two subsidiaries of the Emirati group are involved in these industrial prospects: CARACAL, which specializes in small arms, and POWERTECH, which develops engines for aircraft, including autonomous platforms.
