Illustrative image. Source: the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Morocco is considering purchasing the Iron Dome air-defense system from Israel in order to strengthen its defenses in the disputed region of Western Sahara, the Le Desk news outlet reported on November 5.
According to the site, Rabat is interested in the system because of its capability to intercept aerial threats like mortar shells, rockets and drones.
The Iron Dome is produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The system has a maximum range of 70 kilometers. The effective of the system, which has been in service with the Israeli military since 2011, was questioned on more than one occasion.
“[The system] would ensure the better defense of the sand wall in the Sahara, but also of civil and military zones of a sensitive nature,” Le Desk’s report reads.
Morocco built the 2,700-kilometers “sand wall” in Western Sahara in the 1980s in order to defend against the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which has been fighting for the independence of the region since the early 1970s.
Commenting on Le Desk report, Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post, the sale of the Iron Dome system to Morocco is “unlikely at this time”.
In October, Algeria and Morocco broke diplomatic ties due to new disagreements over the Western Sahara issue and accusations of espionage.
Tensions between the two countries rose earlier this month when an alleged drone strike killed three Algerian truckers in the disputed region. Algiers held Rabat responsible and vowed that the strike will not go unpunished.
Morocco’s interest in Israeli weapons is not a surprise. Last year, the kingdom established ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan.
In October, Israeli officials revealed that Morocco will co-produce loitering munitions, namely the Harop, with Israel Aerospace Industries. The bold deal will reportedly be signed during an upcoming visit by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to Rabat.
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Another country that Morocco approached to boost its military capabilities was Turkey. The Moroccan Royal Air Force ordered at least 13 Bayraktar TB2 combat drones from Turkey’s Baykar earlier this year. The first batch was delivered in September. One of the drones was recently spotted over Western Sahara.
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Morocco’s unprecedented military buildup raises some serious questions about the Kingdom’s future plans for the Western Sahara, where the Polisario maintains a fairly large presence with direct support from Algeria.
