Reports: Morocco becomes first country in North Africa to build advanced drones

Morocco has joined the ranks of drone manufacturers- and the first in North Africa- marking a significant development following a deal with Israel, according to Moroccan media citing Spanish and Israeli news platforms. El Español and I24News report that Israeli drone manufacturer BlueBird, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), recently conducted the first field test of its SpyX suicide drone in Morocco. The drone successfully attacked a decommissioned armored vehicle belonging to the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.

Designed for reconnaissance and attack, the SpyX drone boasts a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour, a range of 50 kilometers and can remain in the air for 90 minutes. Its advanced features include an ability to operate autonomously, a dual day/thermal sensor and a target detection system. It requires a crew of two soldiers to deploy and operate.

Morocco's acquisition of these drones follows an earlier order for 150 WanderB and ThunderB drones from BlueBird in September 2022. Israel has become one of Morocco's main arms suppliers, with bilateral cooperation intensifying since the signing of the Abraham Accords in December 2020.