Spain and Morocco: Comparing Military Strengths Amid Regional Tensions

This comparison leads to noting significant differences based on the latest data from Global Firepower, the global ranking of military powers. In terms of defense budget, Spain exceeds Morocco with a budget of around $23.39 billion, compared to $13.4 billion for the kingdom. In terms of active personnel, Morocco, with its 195,000 soldiers, surpasses Spain which has 133,000. The difference is even more important when it comes to reserve personnel: Morocco has 150,000 reservists compared to barely 15,000 for Spain.

On the military equipment side, Spain stands out in the air force, with a fleet of 461 aircraft, including advanced fighter jets such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, while Morocco has 260 aircraft, including F-16s. On the other hand, Morocco dominates Spain in the army with 903 tanks including M1 Abrams, compared to 317 tanks for Spain, including models such as the Leopard 2E. In addition, Spain outperforms Morocco in terms of armored vehicles, with around 17,000 units, compared to 7,000 for the kingdom.

At the naval level, Spain has a total of 152 ships, including the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, two S-80 class submarines and eleven frigates. Morocco, on the other hand, has 111 ships, including a fleet of 105 patrol boats and a corvette. However, the Royal Moroccan Navy does not have a submarine. According to Global Firepower, Spain also outperforms Morocco in terms of logistics, highlighting the number of strategic ports and airports on the Iberian peninsula which seem to give it a definite advantage.

In summary, Spain’s technological and strategic superiority could tip the balance in its favor in the event of armed conflict, analyzes La Razon, noting that this is only a hypothesis, the outcome of a conflict depending on multiple factors such as strategy, terrain and international alliances.