Rabat – Morocco has purchased sophisticated military drones from China, as part of its ambition to diversify drone supply sources.
Morocco’s purchase list includes Wing Long II, a medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, according to Spanish news outlet OkDiario.
Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute (CADI), a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) created the military drones.
With an air-to-ground attack capability and a range of over 7,000 kilometers, the Chinese drone is intended primarily for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance missions.
The Wing Loong II has a turbocharged engine. It can fly for 20 hours and has a top speed of 370 kilometers per hour.
Read also: Morocco Purchases 150 Israeli Military Drones
According to OkDiario, Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) had long been interested in Wing Loong II drones.
They purchased them to replace an older Chinese type of drone that they had previously used to counter security threats.
Morocco’s interest in military drones has increased in recent years.
Earlier in September, the North African country signed a deal with Israel, purchasing 150 military drones.
The acquired units were meant both for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions and for armed activities.
The deal was also an opportunity for Morocco to join the growing list of manufacturers of military drones, as a portion of these unmanned aircraft will be built locally.
According to the 2022 “Global Firepower” index, Morocco was ranked 55th out of 140 countries in terms of military power.
With 325,000 soldiers, 200,000 of whom are in active military service, 100,000 reserve soldiers, and 25,000 in the paramilitary forces, Morocco was also placed as the fourth strongest military force in Africa.
