ALBAWABA- Morocco is set to acquire a spy satellite from Israel in a landmark deal worth $1 billion, establishing Morocco as a significant customer for Israel's defense industry. This development follows Morocco's normalization of relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel was the world's ninth-largest exporter of defense equipment between 2019 and 2023.
Even before formal diplomatic ties were established in December 2020, Israel was already Morocco's third-largest defense supplier, providing 11% of its defense imports.
The recent satellite deal highlights the growing competition between major Israeli and French defense companies. Morocco chose Israel's Ofek 13 satellite over those offered by Airbus and Thales, its previous suppliers.
This decision follows French President Emmanuel Macron's move to exclude Israeli companies from the prestigious Eurosatory defense and aerospace exhibition in Paris, citing the Gaza conflict.
However, it is believed that business and political considerations, including the recent sale of the Arrow 3 long-range air defense system to Germany for $3.5 billion and Rafael's David's Sling system to Finland for €316 million, also influenced the decision.
In recent years, Israel and Morocco have signed several significant defense deals. In 2022, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) sold the Barak MX air defense system to Morocco for $540 million.
The system includes three interceptors: the Barak MRAD (range up to 35 kilometers), the Barak LRAD (range up to 70 kilometers), and the Barak ER (range up to 150 kilometers).
Additionally, IAI delivered three Heron 1 UAVs to Morocco last year in a $48 million deal initially signed in 2014 through a joint venture with Airbus.
These deals underscore Morocco's growing reliance on Israeli defense technology and its strategic shift in defense partnerships.
