What does Morocco need in the near future? I will not mention the best scenario, but only the platform that I think will make Morocco a more capable serious power in the region.
Let's cover the Air Force, Navy and Ground Forces!
Airforce
When it comes to the Air Force, the F16 and C130 serve us well, and even more so after the opening of the maintenance plant in Ben Slimane.
Air Force:
- Additional order for 48 f16 vipers to replace the Mirage, F5 (assembly line in Morocco?)
- 20 more C-130Js (we only have about 25 different transport planes, we need more to boost our logistics)
- 2 carriers on Least refueling in the air than the f16 (this will give our planes more time to stay in the air, give us another great capacity)
- 2 AEWC
- 2 SIGINT aircraft.
- 4 navy Drones for the Navy
- 24 Akıncı (The bomber drones will lighten the burden of some air-to-ground missions by the f6 )
Land forces
- we have a good amount of M109 artillery but need the long range/precision guided laser munitions on all our artillery like Caesar artillery . (Upgrade all our units up to at least A6.
- Morocco needs more modern radars, especially AESA GAN based radars. Sentinel A4 seems like a nice addition, but we need many different radars with different purposes. (We still operate some old radars from the 1970s like AN/MPQ-49 and other PESA radars).
- More modern equipment for our soldier's Infantry + Replacement of the standard infantry rifle.(Manufacture with a license in morocco..)
- All of our M1 Abrahams tanks should be upgraded to at least M1A2 SEPV3 with an active protection system.
- APS protection systems are no longer a luxury, but an urgent need in view of the proliferation of anti-ATGMs. For Guided Armor Need it on all of our modern tanks as well as on the IFV we will require soon.
- Big order of hundreds of IFVs, and thousands of armored Vehicles and MRAPs.
- many batteries of Coastal Missile Defense Systems.
- We need more MLRS attack capabilities with a distance of between 70-150 km ( US himar, Turkish TRG-TRGL series, or Chinese artillery).
- More long and heavy-range attack capabilities against high-value precision targets. in the ranges of 150-500 km, ( Lora, Khan, Chinese DF11).
- Short-range air defense systems such as 35 mm mobile vehicles and air defense missiles on armored vehicles for example (for mobile / fixed forces and facilities on the battlefield and surrounding areas). Such as Sungur or Mistral. This will protect our forces from low-level threats such as drones, helicopters, artillery or missiles.
- At least 100 transport helicopters at least, we lack this, but recently we got new news that Morocco is putting up a tender for 80 transport helicopter
Moroccan navy
The Moroccan Navy will have to develop long-distance maritime patrol capabilities, including in West Africa within the framework of partnerships with countries in the region.
We will have to quickly strengthen our means of monitoring and patrols on the high seas to protect these energy interests (heavy OPV, aircraft, ISR)
In addition, if Morocco goes further in the exploration of gas in the Atlantic Ocean with other important discoveries of hydrocarbons, the Royal Moroccan Navy will have to develop more in the coming years. Let's not forget how Egypt is making big deals after the gas discoveries of the past years.
And finally the Navy
- updated Mohammed VI FREMM (add ECM, CIWS / Ram plus add another 16 vls
= 16 +16 total 32 VLS)
- two naval patrol aircraft like ATR-72 for example
- 4 AIP Submarines (not only crew training (2.5 years) but also interoperability between different naval systems (frigates, corvettes, air assets, submarines, etc. will take a decade to master.
- 4 The opv class (2000 tons). Order OPVs that will allow changes in the electronics/weapons without extensive rebuilding activities in any case of crisi/war times making the 4 OPV to armed corvettes.
- 4 frigates 3000 tons - 5000 tons.
- 3 corvettes 2000-3000 corvettes.
The soon-finished shipyard in Casablanca will be able to handle 22 units annually in a dry dock, 400 to 470 boats using a quay crane (450 tons) and at the same time 6 medium-sized boats on a lift platform (5000 tons). Every big deal we do in a naval acquisition has to include technology transfer, and possibly some ships built in Morocco.
Pakistan has made an extraordinary naval deal with Turkey with TOT, a lot is included in the package, and we should proceed in a similar way.
The only way we can have an independent foreign policy is to create a strong defense industry.
Let's cover the Air Force, Navy and Ground Forces!
Airforce
When it comes to the Air Force, the F16 and C130 serve us well, and even more so after the opening of the maintenance plant in Ben Slimane.
Air Force:
- Additional order for 48 f16 vipers to replace the Mirage, F5 (assembly line in Morocco?)
- 20 more C-130Js (we only have about 25 different transport planes, we need more to boost our logistics)
- 2 carriers on Least refueling in the air than the f16 (this will give our planes more time to stay in the air, give us another great capacity)
- 2 AEWC
- 2 SIGINT aircraft.
- 4 navy Drones for the Navy
- 24 Akıncı (The bomber drones will lighten the burden of some air-to-ground missions by the f6 )
Land forces
- we have a good amount of M109 artillery but need the long range/precision guided laser munitions on all our artillery like Caesar artillery . (Upgrade all our units up to at least A6.
- Morocco needs more modern radars, especially AESA GAN based radars. Sentinel A4 seems like a nice addition, but we need many different radars with different purposes. (We still operate some old radars from the 1970s like AN/MPQ-49 and other PESA radars).
- More modern equipment for our soldier's Infantry + Replacement of the standard infantry rifle.(Manufacture with a license in morocco..)
- All of our M1 Abrahams tanks should be upgraded to at least M1A2 SEPV3 with an active protection system.
- APS protection systems are no longer a luxury, but an urgent need in view of the proliferation of anti-ATGMs. For Guided Armor Need it on all of our modern tanks as well as on the IFV we will require soon.
- Big order of hundreds of IFVs, and thousands of armored Vehicles and MRAPs.
- many batteries of Coastal Missile Defense Systems.
- We need more MLRS attack capabilities with a distance of between 70-150 km ( US himar, Turkish TRG-TRGL series, or Chinese artillery).
- More long and heavy-range attack capabilities against high-value precision targets. in the ranges of 150-500 km, ( Lora, Khan, Chinese DF11).
- Short-range air defense systems such as 35 mm mobile vehicles and air defense missiles on armored vehicles for example (for mobile / fixed forces and facilities on the battlefield and surrounding areas). Such as Sungur or Mistral. This will protect our forces from low-level threats such as drones, helicopters, artillery or missiles.
- At least 100 transport helicopters at least, we lack this, but recently we got new news that Morocco is putting up a tender for 80 transport helicopter
Moroccan navy
The Moroccan Navy will have to develop long-distance maritime patrol capabilities, including in West Africa within the framework of partnerships with countries in the region.
We will have to quickly strengthen our means of monitoring and patrols on the high seas to protect these energy interests (heavy OPV, aircraft, ISR)
In addition, if Morocco goes further in the exploration of gas in the Atlantic Ocean with other important discoveries of hydrocarbons, the Royal Moroccan Navy will have to develop more in the coming years. Let's not forget how Egypt is making big deals after the gas discoveries of the past years.
And finally the Navy
- updated Mohammed VI FREMM (add ECM, CIWS / Ram plus add another 16 vls
= 16 +16 total 32 VLS)
- two naval patrol aircraft like ATR-72 for example
- 4 AIP Submarines (not only crew training (2.5 years) but also interoperability between different naval systems (frigates, corvettes, air assets, submarines, etc. will take a decade to master.
- 4 The opv class (2000 tons). Order OPVs that will allow changes in the electronics/weapons without extensive rebuilding activities in any case of crisi/war times making the 4 OPV to armed corvettes.
- 4 frigates 3000 tons - 5000 tons.
- 3 corvettes 2000-3000 corvettes.
The soon-finished shipyard in Casablanca will be able to handle 22 units annually in a dry dock, 400 to 470 boats using a quay crane (450 tons) and at the same time 6 medium-sized boats on a lift platform (5000 tons). Every big deal we do in a naval acquisition has to include technology transfer, and possibly some ships built in Morocco.
Pakistan has made an extraordinary naval deal with Turkey with TOT, a lot is included in the package, and we should proceed in a similar way.
The only way we can have an independent foreign policy is to create a strong defense industry.