Morocco’s Military Modernization: From Apache Helicopters to Homegrown Defense Industry

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) have received this year the first fleet of Apache AH-64 helicopters. A major acquisition aimed at strengthening the capacity and efficiency of the air force. These latest generation aircraft are added to the Turkish Bayraktar Akinci TB2 drones, with a range of 7,500 km and dedicated to surveillance and combat missions. The air force is also reinforced by a fleet of F-16 Block 70/72 fighters, allowing the kingdom to fend off any potential threat, analyzes the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, specifying that an upgrade program for the C-130 Hercules aircraft is underway, in partnership with the American L3Harris Technologies, in order to strengthen the logistical capabilities and operational support of the Royal Air Force.

As for the army, significant acquisitions are to be noted. The Moroccan army has acquired heavy artillery pieces, such as the French Caesar guns and the Israeli Atmos 2000 systems, and is awaiting the delivery of the American HIMARS rocket launchers. A diversification of arms supply sources that allows the FAR to effectively meet contemporary security challenges. The Navy is not forgotten in this modernization dynamic. The kingdom intends to strengthen security along its more than 3,500 km of coastline. It also plans to create a specialized unit in cybersecurity in order to counter any digital attacks.

Beyond the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, Morocco is accelerating the construction of a national defense industry. This is evidenced by the installation of a production and maintenance plant for the Turkish Baykar drones. Operated by Atlas Defense, a Moroccan subsidiary of Baykar, this plant has the mission of designing, manufacturing, maintaining and selling drones and strategic components, as indicated in the Official Bulletin of January 29, 2025. In the armored vehicle segment, Morocco has signed a strategic alliance with India’s Tata Advanced Systems to locally produce the WhAP 8x8 combat vehicle, developed by the Indian military research agency DRDO. The first vehicles will be available within three years. The plant is expected to generate nearly 90 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs.

To coordinate this dynamic, the Moroccan Agency for Military Housing and Equipment (ALEM) and MEDZ, a subsidiary of the CDG, have set up the Defense Industrial Zones Management Company. It will be responsible for developing, arranging and promoting industrial zones dedicated to the defense industries. It should be recalled that since July 2020, a law authorizes the local production of weapons and defense equipment, as well as their export. The objective is to reduce dependence on imports. The military budget of the kingdom for 2025 has exceeded 133 billion dirhams. It is dedicated to the acquisition and modernization of equipment, but also to support local production and the revaluation of military salaries.