Spain and Morocco Escalate Surveillance with Satellite Technology

The tense relations between Spain and Morocco are not likely to lower their guard. The two neighbors are spying on each other because of their respective interests. According to EDC Confidencial digital, the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla claimed by Morocco, the presence of Moroccans in the Canary Islands, the latest statements by Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani, the suspended bilateral summit and the controversy around the Moroccan Sahara would be at the heart of the tensions between the two countries.

In 2017, Morocco launched the "Mohamed VI-A" satellite. A year later, it puts the "Mohamed VI-B" satellite into orbit. These two observation satellites allow the Kingdom to obtain strategic information on its immediate neighbors and on the African coast.

For its part, Spain suffered a stinging failure in the launch of the "Ingenio" satellite last November. Aware of its neighbor’s advantage in terms of surveillance, Spain has turned to France. Like Germany, Italy and Greece, Spain was receiving images from the two French "Hélios" satellites. But since December 29, France has launched a new satellite, the "CSO-2" to replace the two old spy satellites, "Helios 2A" and "2B". The Spanish government must negotiate with France the payment terms for this new service.