Rabat – India is eager to boost its military exports to Africa, including Morocco, with the country seeking to position itself as a “reliable” security partner for countries in the Global South.
The Asian country presented on Wednesday its locally produced helicopter, drones, and artillery to military officials from many countries across Africa, including Morocco, in a bid to pitch its “affordable production” to potential buyers.
India’s military displayed several military equipment, including helicopters, armored vehicles, and bomb disposal robots during a simulated operation in Pune, an area in western India, according to AFP.
“We are making equipment which is affordable and reliable,” AFP quoted retired Indian army general VG Pantakar as saying.
India is eager to position itself among the largest exporters of arms. India topped the list of the 40 largest importers of arms in 2022, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Russia is India’s main supplier with 45%, followed by France (29%), and the US (11%).
The five largest arms importers between 2018 and 2022 were India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia, and China.
Meanwhile, the top five largest arms exporters were the US, Russia, France, China, and Germany.
Morocco is among the African countries that continue to upgrade its military equipment.
The North African country has been diversifying its security partners, but continues to import most of its arms from the US.
According to the SIPRI report, Morocco imports 76% of its arms from the US, followed by France with 15% and China with 6.8 %.
