Rabat – France has authorized the transfer of 30 Mirage 2009-E aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Morocco.
According to Spanish media, the transfer is part of a broader cooperation agreement that will see Abu Dhabi acquire 80 Rafales.
The transfer was locked in a three-year suspension after facing vehement French opposition before Paris approved the transfer. According to the initial terms of purchase, Abu Dhabi could only transfer the aircraft after gaining the approval of the manufacturer.
Mirage 2000-9 is the export variant of Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2. The UAE was the first customer after ordering 32 new-build aircraft, including 20 Mirage 2000-9 single-seaters and 12 Mirage 2000-9D two-seaters.
Spanish media details that approval was made on Wednesday following discussions between Morocco and France’s foreign affairs ministers.
Reports indicate that Paris’s hesitation to allow the transfer was due to its desire to buy back the 40 Emirati “Mirage 2000-9” aircraft and transfer them to Ukraine to support its war against Russia.
Meanwhile, the UAE preferred to give up 69 aircraft. this model, 30 of which went to Morocco and 39 in favor of Egypt.
The Mirage 2009-E fighter jet is the latest in a series of acquisitions Morocco has made in recent years.
Morocco has been actively working to strengthen its air defense capabilities, especially by extending its inventory of drones.
A report by Military Africa, a defense-focused website, indicates that Morocco has amassed a formidable drone arsenal, boasting a total of 233 drones.
As of 2024, Morocco has the second-largest inventory of drones across Africa. Egypt heads the list with over 260 drones.
The North African country’s efforts to modernize and upgrade its air defense has raised air brows from its Northern Neighbour Spain.
While the two countries have been on good diplomatic terms since their reconciliation in 2022, it did not stop the Spanish press from describing Morocco’s air defense acquisition deals as “bad news for Spain.”
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