Morocco is seeking to enter an agreement with Ukraine to acquire the Varta 4×4 Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
Manufactured by the company Ukrainian Armor, the VARTA is a 4×4 MRAP fully designed and developed in Ukraine.
Morocco has been making moves in recent years to modernize its military equipment, to better contend with Algeria its neighbor and long-time arch-rival. Rabat’s whose main weapons sources are France and the United States, which recently added Israel after normalization of relations is diversifying its suppliers.
It so happens that in December 2020, a delegation from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces visited the factory of Ukrainian Armor, and a combat capabilities demonstration of MRAP Varta and SAV Novator armored vehicles, 60 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm mortar and ammunition, as well as the ZU-23 AD 23mm air defense system were carried out.
Ukrainian Armor also designs and produces wheeled armored vehicles VARTA, NOVATOR and KAMRAT in different variants and configurations which are able to conduct different types of missions such as surveillance and reconnaissance, border patrolling, special missions, personnel carrier, and medical evacuation.
The Varta 4×4 features is conventional with the engine at the front, crew in the middle, and troops compartment at the rear. It has a crew of two including driver and commander and can accommodate eight infantrymen. The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 17,500 kg with a maximum payload of 3,000 kg.
The standard VARTA in APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) configuration is fitted with a one-man open-top turret mounted on at the front of the roof which can be armed with one 7.62mm PK machine gun or 12.7mm NSV heavy machine gun.
Also, besides armored vehicles, Ukrainian armor also produces mortar weapon systems in 60 mm, 81 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm calibers as well as ammunition.