Morocco’s Military Buildup and Alliances Raise Concerns in Spain

The military capability of a country does not rely solely on the quantity and quality of military personnel and available weapons and equipment, but above all on the quantity and quality of its allies, analyzes the newspaper El Español, noting that for more than a decade, Morocco has massively invested in the modernization and strengthening of its army by forging solid alliances with strategic partners such as the United States and Israel.

Morocco has acquired and put into service Abrams battle tanks, Apache helicopters, F-16V fighter jets with advanced AESA radars, drones for patrol, intelligence and ground attack missions, an anti-aircraft frigate and three multipurpose corvettes, advanced short, medium and long-range air defense systems, etc., the same source recalls, arguing that with all these acquisitions, Morocco has strengthened its position as a leader in the region.

Meanwhile, Spain has reduced its military budgets to cope with the economic and financial crisis, leading to an inability to renew its very outdated military equipment and strengthen its army. Also, Spain’s weak ability to forge strategic alliances has made it a "weak" country vis-à-vis Morocco and Algeria, explains the media, warning that if nothing is done to correct the situation, the country risks losing the little military weight it can still boast of within the international community.

For the newspaper, "the surprising change of position on the Sahara does not help to modify the perceptions that Rabat and Algiers have of [Spain’s] willingness to defend [its] interests." To change the situation, Spain must, as announced by the government authorities, gradually increase the military budget to 2% of GDP in order to acquire new ships, planes, missiles and battle tanks. It must also forge solid alliances and demonstrate effective political and military deterrence to defend its interests.