Morocco uses unmanned aircraft to combat the Polisario. In this sense, the kingdom is strengthening its air force through the acquisition of advanced equipment.
According to informed sources, Morocco is carrying out targeted and coordinated operations against the Polisario using largely unmanned aircraft, reports the Israel Defense website. Although the United States has recognized the sovereignty of the kingdom over the Sahara, the independence movement supported by Algeria is trying to play spoilers. In April 2021, the Moroccan army had used three military drones of the Harfang (Heron) type, acquired from the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation in the Sahara.
In a statement to the specialized journal Defense News, Samuel Ramani, a defense expert at the University of Oxford, said that Morocco is strengthening its relations and developing contacts with defense companies to modernize its air capabilities. According to Moroccan officials, the use of drones in combat is “a key element of their military modernization efforts,” he said.
In 2019, Morocco acquired 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters (24 new, 12 optional), more than 2,400 BGM-71-4B-RF TOW 2A (missiles) to increase its integrated defense capabilities, 25 F-16C / D Block 72 fighters with additional air-to-ground ammunition. This year, the kingdom acquired 13 drones of the Bayraktar TB-2 type from the Turkish company Baykar.
