Morocco Set to Acquire Advanced Turkish Akinci Drones, Expanding Military Arsenal

Morocco has been strengthening and modernizing its army for more than a decade. In this dynamic, the kingdom has acquired several drones and is about to receive the Akinci, one of the most modern developed by the Turkish company Baykar. The Royal Air Force should receive this device by February 2025, reports El Español.

Introduced into service in 2019, this drone has already been acquired by Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Ethiopia and Azerbaijan. The Akinci can fly for more than 24 hours without interruption at a maximum altitude of 12,200 meters. With a length of 12.3 meters, and 4 m in height, the drone can reach a cruising speed of 278 km/h and a maximum speed of 444 km/h.

"With its unique fuselage and wing design, the Byraktar Akinci is a strategic class platform that can carry multiple payloads," explains its manufacturer, stating that this drone is capable of carrying out "operations that are conducted with fighter jets" in air defense and surface attack missions.

With the integration of the new IHA-230 ballistic missile from Roketsan, the drone has a range of more than 150 kilometers. The Akinci is compatible with the short-range MAM-L and MAM-C missiles, the medium-range L-UMTA, the Cirit rockets and even the air-to-air Gokdogan (Merlin) and Bozdogan (Peregrine) missiles, as well as guided bombs such as the MK-81, MK-82 and MK-83.