En twenty years, never has such a record been registered in the order books of the defense industry in Israel. Buoyed by the wave of normalization of the Jewish state’s diplomatic relations with several Arab countries, Israeli gunsmiths exported a total of $11.2 billion worth of weapons around the world in 2021.
Far from the big buyers located in Europe and Asia-Pacific, which respectively account for 41 and 34% of this double-digit performance, the signatory countries of the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have placed orders for 826 million dollars (or 7%) to Israeli gunsmiths over the past year.
Drones, missiles, cyberguerre…
For the year 2021 alone, Israeli Ministry of Defense records mention a total of 120 arms sales contracts around the world, including mega contracts greater than or equal to $1 billion. Thisthe represents a 30% increase compared to 2020 when arms exports amounted to 8.3 billion dollars, according to figures revealed this week by the Department of International Cooperation, l’unit responsible for supervising military exports in the Ministry of Defence.
Equipment from the factories Israeli military to join foreign arsenals range from drones to missiles passing through air defense systems, from radars or electronic warfare, materials intended for cyber warfare or equipment intended for troops (ammunition, combat clothing, vehicles for transporting the wounded).
If the normalization of political and diplomatic relations has opened up the opportunity other markets for the Israeli defense industry, the signatory countries of this normalization intend to take advantage of the position of 10th world exporter of weapons and 2nd producer of drones in the world. And Morocco would be in pole position to carve out the lion’s share of shopping.
Fond of Israeli military equipment long before normalizationMorocco had integrated several defense systems from Israel during the period of secret relations between the Cherifian kingdom and the Jewish state (1993-2020). Since the normalization, Rabat formalized its military relations with Tel Aviv with the signing on November 24, 2021 of a defense memorandum of understanding. The latter included the regulation of intelligence cooperation, arms purchases, joint training and close ties between the two industries« .
To solidify their military relations, an Israeli military delegation discreetly made its first visit to Morocco on March 25, 2022, shortly before the top of the Negev. After a series of meetings with the Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) Belkhir El Farouk, a second memorandum of military cooperation was signed between the two countries to facilitate the establishment of joint military commissions, training exercises interoperability between the FAR and Tsahal (the Israeli army), the participation in international exercises et the sale of arms.
Army modernization
Sn this last aspect, Morocco has peaked its military budget at 50.3 billion dirhams (5 billion dollars) in 2022 in order to finance a vast program implemented since 2012, for the modernization of its army by strengthening its troop strength and military arsenal. Appreciated for delivering systems with renowned quality/price ratio and efficiency, Israel has become one of Morocco’s main suppliers of cutting-edge military technology.
This was particularly true during the year 2021. When the first military agreement was signed in November 2021, Moroccan Defense Minister Abdellatif Loudiyi slipped Benny Gantz, his Israeli counterpart, a wish-list of military equipment that the kingdom wanted to acquire from Israel. Intended to be updated according to the negotiations, the assessment of needs and the authorizations necessary for their export, the deliveries were not long in filling the arsenal of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR).
This is how Israel Aerospace Industries (AI), among the leading trio of Israeli equipment manufacturers, had provided the Morocco the Barak MX, an air defense system capable of intercepting short-range missiles, medium and long range. Worth 560 million dollars, the deal would have been tied up on the sidelines of the agreement at the end of November 2021. The day after the signing of this agreement, the specialized press revealed that Morocco had acquired au list price between 900,000 dollars to 4.5 million dollars (all options), Skylock Dome. Ce israeli shield capable of detect, identify, neutralize or destroy any malicious drone is designed by Skylock Systems, filiale d’Avnon Group, another Israeli military industrialist.
Strengthen hard power
In addition, in the third quarter of 2021, Morocco had paid its two tranches of a total payment of 22 million dollars intended for the acquisition of Harop kamikaze drones, a self-flying device incorporating precision strike technology, developed by the AI. This semi-public company chaired by Amir Peretz, former Israeli Minister of Defense of Moroccan origin, plans to establish, in Morocco, a factory ofassembly of drones and production of ammunition for local and export purposes.
Secretly came to Morocco several times, Amir Peretz had started discussions with Moroccan partners. Pto prepare the ecosystem who will have to materialize this industrial project, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the aeronautical industry sector was signed on March 23 in Rabatbetween the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Aerospace Industries (AI).
On the other hand, in anticipation of a possible electronic warfare, the kingdom should also take advantage of Israeli technological knowledge in terms of drones and military R&D. In the process, dprotective equipment, artillery tools, and precision firing devices from the Moroccan air force coming from Israel could strengthen Morocco’s hard-power and widen its technological lead.