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Casablanca — Morocco has built one of the largest military drone fleets on the African continent, ranking second only to Egypt in total acquisitions, according to a new report by Military Africa that tracks drone procurement across 34 African countries from 1980 to 2026.
The report recorded 279 drone units in Morocco, placing the country among the main drivers of Africa’s growing unmanned aerial vehicle market. North Africa as a whole accounted for 1,026 drone units, the largest regional share on the continent, ahead of West, East, and Southern Africa. Egypt led the rankings with 313 units, followed by Morocco and Algeria with 128.
Military Africa identified Morocco as one of the countries investing heavily in high-end Medium Altitude Long Endurance and High Altitude Long Endurance drone capabilities.
The report found that Class III MALE and HALE systems represented 657 units across Africa, reflecting the growing role of long-range surveillance and combat drones in military operations.
Morocco’s drone fleet has been built through acquisitions from several international suppliers. Earlier Military Africa data showed that Israeli-made systems formed the largest share of Morocco’s inventory, alongside American and Turkish platforms.
The country has also moved beyond procurement and into local production. Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems previously announced plans to manufacture drones in Morocco, while recent reports point to a broader effort to develop a domestic drone industry.
China and Turkey reshape the African drone market
Across the continent, the report recorded 234 procurement deals involving 1,959 drone units from 21 supplier countries. More than half of all recorded acquisitions took place between 2020 and 2026, with that period accounting for 1,054 units.
China remained the largest supplier with 587 units delivered to 20 African countries, while Turkey emerged as the fastest-growing player. Turkish exports rose sharply after 2021, and the Bayraktar TB2 became the most widely distributed drone system in Africa, operating in 11 countries. The report recorded 291 Turkish drone units across the continent.
The study also pointed to the spread of armed drones into active conflict zones. Countries including Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan, and Mali have acquired combat-capable systems from competing suppliers as drone warfare becomes increasingly common in African security operations.
At the same time, local manufacturing is expanding. Nine African countries were identified as having indigenous drone production programs. South Africa led with 94 locally produced units, followed by Nigeria with 36, Algeria with 29, and Ethiopia with 21. Overall, the report recorded 216 indigenous drone units across the continent.
Military Africa described the current period as the fastest phase of drone militarization recorded in Africa, noting that the trend is driven by new suppliers, regional conflicts, and growing investment in surveillance and combat technologies.
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