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Publication director: Mohamed Khartouf
World

Morocco is preparing to enter the closed circle of military drone manufacturers, the fruit of its cooperation with Israel

You can share an article by clicking on the share icons at the top right of it. The total or partial reproduction of an article, without the prior written authorization of Le Monde, is strictly prohibited. For more information, consult our general conditions of sale. For any authorization request, contact syndication@lemonde.fr. As a subscriber, you can gift up to five items per month to one of your loved ones using the “Gift an Item” feature. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/05/05/le-maroc-s-apprete-a-entre-dans-le-cercle-ferme-des-constructeurs-de-drones-militaires-fruit-de-sa-cooperation-avec-israel_6231729_3212.html After South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria, Morocco should soon join the circle of African countries manufacturing military drones. The announcement was made by Ronen Nadir, the founder and chairman of Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems, part-owned by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries. In a statement, published on April 13 by the Spanish magazine Zona Militar, the former Israeli Air Force commander claimed that an unmanned aircraft (ASP) production unit had been established in Morocco and would begin operating in the near future. No details have been filtered on the location of this installation or the start date of production. Contacted by Le Monde, representatives of BlueBird Aero Systems did not wish to react. Mr. Nadir’s comments did not trigger an official comment from Morocco either, but they coincide with the announcement, in November 2023, by Moroccan Defense Minister Abdellatif Loudiyi of the project to develop a national military industry focused on the production of ASP.

Which drones will be manufactured in Morocco? WanderB and ThunderB models, assures Asher Fredman, the director for Israel of the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace. These devices are mainly intended for reconnaissance, intelligence and target detection missions. In 2022, Rabat has ordered one hundred and fifty copies, part of which will be produced on Moroccan soil.

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