Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems has supplied 150 WanderB and ThunderB vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones to Morocco to support it’s military.
This new business is coming after both countries normalized relationships and entered a defence pact in November, last year.
Morocco and Israel have a long history of military and intelligence cooperation but have no official diplomatic ties.
Morocco bought the the WanderB and ThunderB drones to carry out reconnaissance, surveillance, air defense, and emergency missions.
Morocco has for years been battling terror on several fronts, and is a country that is struggling against al Qaeda and global jihadi groups.
According to BlueBird Aero Systems, the WanderB VTOL is a long-range aircraft that can take off and land without a runway.
It has a low noise level due to its electric motors, making it suitable for covert military operations.
The WanderB drone boasts an endurance of 2.5 hours and a communication range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles).
“The drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 13 kilos, of which five correspond to the batteries and one and a half to the payload, which can be day or night cameras,”
While the ThunderB is described as a “robust, innovative, and versatile” system that can be used for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.
It can reach targets up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) away and remain aloft more than 12 hours.
As part of the contract agreement, some of the drones will be built in Morocco.
Israel and Morocco began collaboration in the area of defence in November, 2020 when Rabat acquired three Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as part of a $48 million arms deal.
