Morocco has become the first African and Middle Eastern nation to manufacture suicide drones, marking its entry into the exclusive club of drone producers. This development comes as part of Morocco’s deepening strategic ties with Israel following the normalization of relations through the David Peace Accord.
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) have recently incorporated the new SpyX suicide drone into their arsenal, following successful field tests conducted by BlueBird Aero Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The SpyX drone, boasting a range of 50km and a deployment duration of an hour and a half, is designed for both reconnaissance and attack missions. It represents a significant step forward in Morocco’s defence and security capabilities.
SpyX, developed by BlueBird Aero Systems, is an expendable electric mini-UAV, designed for loitering & strike missions, to enable tactical teams to organically detect, confirm and hit targets at ranges up to 50Km. To increase its target detection capabilities, the SpyX is integrated with a revolutionary belly-mounted dual-sensor stabilized payload and advanced video tracker, to enable autonomous and accurate electro-optical guided attack on the target. To increase its effectiveness, the 2.5Kg warhead (like combined Anti-Personnel, Anti-vehicles, or Anti-tank warheads) is loaded to the SpyX Loitering Munition just before launch, as per the required effect-on-target.
The acquisition of SpyX is the latest in a series of defence collaborations between Morocco and Israel. In September 2022, Morocco ordered 150 WanderB and ThunderB drones from BlueBird and requested two Ofek-13 reconnaissance satellites to enhance its surveillance and intelligence infrastructure.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Morocco is a major recipient of Israeli arms, with 11% of Israel’s weapons exports going to the North African nation. The defence relationship was further solidified in 2021 when Israel and Morocco signed a defence pact, showcasing a united front against common concerns such as Iran and Islamist militancy.
Since the signing of the defence pact, Morocco has acquired various defence systems from Israel, including the Skylock Dome counter-drone system in November 2021 and reaching a provisional agreement with IAI in March 2022 for aerospace cooperation. The accord was signed during a meeting in Rabat between the Moroccan trade and industry minister, Ryad Mezzour, and Israel Aerospace Industries chair Amir Peretz.
Moreover, in November 2022, Elbit Systems secured a $70 million contract to supply Morocco with Electronic Warfare (EW) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) solutions. Elbit Systems also announced plans in 2023 to establish production sites in Morocco, aiming to serve the defence needs of Morocco and other African nations, with potential locations including the Casablanca region.
Morocco’s commitment to modernizing its defence capabilities through strategic partnerships underscores its position as a rising power in regional security and defence innovation.