Morocco Upgrades Army with Israeli-Made Combat Turrets for Armored Vehicles

The ties between the Moroccan army and the Israeli defense industry are confirmed and growing stronger. Thus, Morocco has once again called upon the expertise of the Elbit Systems group for a strategic modernization contract of its ground forces.

The latest order is this time for the equipment of WhAP 8x8 armored personnel carriers. Designed in partnership with the Indian group Tata Advanced Systems, these vehicles of the Moroccan army will receive latest generation combat turrets from Elbit.

The performance gain promises to be particularly interesting for the Moroccan army. According to information from the Israeli press, these turrets will replace the 30 mm cannons currently equipping the armored vehicles. The onboard armament will upgrade to much larger calibers of 105 and 120 mm, similar to those of battle tanks, in order to offer superior firepower in semi-arid environments.

Part of the contract is dedicated to adapting these systems to Morocco’s specific conditions, particularly for operating in the Atlas mountains or desert areas. However, the amount of the transaction and its implementation schedule have not been made public. This order follows a $370 million agreement concluded in 2023 for the supply of about forty Atmos 2000 artillery systems.