Spanish Shipbuilder Navantia Denies Submarine Deal with Morocco

Will Navantia build submarines for the Royal Moroccan Navy? Contacted by Confidencial Digital, a spokesman for the shipbuilder stated that Morocco has never ordered submarines from the Spanish manufacturer, thus denying the information published by the French newspaper La Tribune in a long article a few weeks ago, according to which the kingdom wishes to acquire submarines in the long term and has already consulted the main industrialists such as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Germany, Navantia in Spain and Naval Group in France.

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Since 2019, Morocco has expressed its interest in acquiring at least one submarine. Moreover, its desire to become a military power in the Maghreb is pushing it to launch a tender for the construction of two patrol boats. It has already acquired several frigates for the Royal Navy. The possible realization of its submarine acquisition project should upset the naval balance in the Strait of Gibraltar, in the western Mediterranean and in the Canary Islands.

For its part, Spain has two S-70 class submarines. The Iberian peninsula has also embarked on the construction of new S-80s, the first model of which could be commissioned in October of this year. Algeria, another major rival of Morocco, has at least six submarines. The neighbor would have ordered two more from Russia.