Morocco Shifts to Israeli Defense Partnership, Signs Deal for Advanced Artillery Systems

In a strategic shift, Morocco has turned to Israel's Elbit Systems as its primary defense partner, finalizing a contract to acquire 36 Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems. This move, reported by French newspaper La Tribune, follows a series of technical failures with Morocco’s previous artillery supplier, France’s KNDS. The issues stemmed from problems with the Caesar artillery systems, which Morocco ordered in 2020 and began receiving in 2022. Despite multiple complaints to KNDS about recurring technical faults, the response from the French company was deemed insufficient, leaving some of the systems non-operational.

With the new deal, Israel has emerged as Morocco’s third-largest arms supplier, accounting for 11% of its total arms imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The partnership highlights Israel’s growing role as a reliable defense partner for Morocco, reinforcing its position as a key strategic ally in the region.

This move marks a further strengthening of Israel's presence in the Moroccan defense sector, providing the FAR with an advanced and proven artillery system. Morocco’s shift towards Israel follows its increasing focus on reliability and efficiency in military procurement, particularly in high-performance artillery systems that can meet the needs of modern warfare.