Morocco Eyes Submarine Acquisition, Raising Regional Defense Concerns

This qualitative leap of the Moroccan army worries the neighboring countries, especially the Spaniards who are closely following the acquisitions of the Moroccan armed forces. Spanish military sources cited by the site El Confidencial believe that Morocco’s next acquisition could be a submarine.

These same sources recall that despite intense negotiations with certain foreign countries, Morocco has not yet signed a final agreement, but this could happen soon. "Rabat will redouble its efforts in this direction in the coming months," the site believes, adding that the kingdom "would have intensified its research especially after the latest steps taken by its neighbor and rival Algeria".

The neighboring country has indeed recently announced its intention to buy two Type 636M submarines of Russian manufacture, which will be added to those it had already acquired in 2014 and which have already been delivered. These are one of the quietest diesel submarines in the world.

This arms race between the two Maghreb countries poses a threat to Spain, which fears an imbalance of submarine forces at the level of the strait, the coast and the Al Boran sea, bordering Morocco. And this fear could be confirmed today because it is almost certain that