Morocco Reportedly Acquires Advanced Israeli Air Defense System

Morocco placed the order for this defense system as part of the military cooperation agreement between Morocco and Israel, concluded on November 24, 2021 during the visit to Rabat of Benny Gantz, the Israeli Minister of Defense. The Royal Moroccan Air Force would have already received this system. But the Moroccan authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the acquisition of this missile.

After the Abraham Accords in 2020, which consecrated the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel under the aegis of the United States, the two countries would have concluded a military agreement under which Israel should sell Morocco the BARAK MX and Barak 8 air defense systems for $500 million.

The Barak MX air/missile defense system allows protecting an area against conventional aircraft (planes and helicopters), missiles, drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), etc. It is adapted to three missile models from the Barak family, namely the MRAD (medium range), the LRAD (long range) and the ER (extended range), which can be used depending on the threat.

The Barak MX can carry out air surveillance or combat missions. By acquiring this Barak system, Morocco is strengthening the air defense capabilities of the Royal Armed Forces, which already have the Chinese Sky Dragon 50.