Watan-The French newspaper “Le Monde” reported that Morocco is poised to enter the narrow circle of military drone manufacturers through a well-known Israeli company, as a result of its cooperation with the Zionist entity.
The convergence between Morocco and Israel has accelerated since the diplomatic normalization that took place in December 2020 under what was then known as the Abraham Accords, a normalization process between Israel and Arab countries supported by Washington.
The Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems announced the anticipated start of a production unit in the Kingdom of Morocco. According to the report by “Le Monde’s” correspondent from Casablanca, Alexander Obolensk, after South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria, Morocco is supposed to soon join the circle of African countries manufacturing military drones.
This announcement was made by Ronen Nadir, founder and chairman of the Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems, partially owned by the Israeli Aerospace Industries, owned by the occupying state.
In a statement published by the Spanish magazine “Zona Militar” on April 13, the former commander of the Israeli Air Force claimed that a unit for the production of drones (ASP) had been established in Morocco and would begin operation in the near future.
No details were provided about the location of this project or the start date of production. There has been no official response from Morocco to Nadir’s comments, but they coincided with the announcement by the Moroccan Defense Minister, Abdellatif Loudiyi, in November 2023, regarding a project to develop a national military industry aimed at producing export-oriented drones.
This is not the first time an Israeli company has shown interest in developing this industry with Morocco. In 2023, Elbit Systems, a competitor of BlueBird, indicated its plans to open two drone manufacturing sites. “Le Monde” contacted representatives of BlueBird Aero Systems, who declined to comment.
But what are the drones that will be manufactured in Morocco?
According to the French newspaper, citing its sources, among these drones are models like the WanderB and ThunderB, primarily intended for reconnaissance, intelligence, and target detection missions.
In 2022, Rabat ordered one hundred and fifty copies, some of which will be produced on Moroccan soil. The source also mentioned the possibility of manufacturing the SpyX drone, a suicide version owned by the Moroccan military recently, by the Israeli company.
BlueBird Aero Systems
The Israeli company BlueBird was founded in 2002. It is partially owned by the Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI), the parent company. Ronen Nadir, the company’s CEO, was a commander in the Israeli occupation army responsible for missile development.
During the fifty-fourth edition of the International Aerospace Exhibition in Le Bourget, France, the company presented its new weapon, the SpyX drone. It is a long-range attack system with a wingspan of 2 meters and a length of 1.40 meters.
The SpyX Kamikaze drone was tested in Morocco by BlueBird and the Royal Armed Forces.
The source pointed out that the Moroccan Armed Forces’ interest in drones is not new. The first use of drones by the Royal Air Force dates back to 1986 when the Air Force tested the SkyEye R4E-50, a reconnaissance drone produced by the British-American aircraft manufacturer BAE Systems.
Morocco possesses one of the largest fleets of military drones on the continent, according to Military Africa. According to the specialized website on African military affairs, the Royal Armed Forces acquired 223 remotely piloted aircraft from foreign suppliers between 1980 and 2024.
In 2021, the Moroccan army acquired the Israeli Skylock Dome system to enhance its defense capabilities. Two years later, it purchased the Barak MX air defense and missile system manufactured by the Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is a standard device designed to respond to missile and aircraft threats, operating on both naval and land platforms.
Joint Projects
In 2021, the Moroccan Parliament approved a law allowing the establishment of joint projects in the defense industry. The provisions of this law, unique in the Moroccan legal arsenal, allow for the establishment of private companies in the field of weapons and military equipment. Without this law, it would not have been possible to establish a local branch of the Israeli company BlueBird.
In November 2021, during a visit by former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to Morocco, the two countries signed a framework agreement in the military and security fields. Among other things, this agreement provides for intelligence cooperation, industrial link development, weapons procurement, and joint training.
Israeli observers participated for the first time in June 2022 in the “African Lion 2022” maneuvers, the largest military exercise on the African continent, organized by Morocco and the United States.