Royal Armed Forces benefit from Indian experience in manufacturing military vehicles (Defensa)

On Mar 14, 2023

The Spanish magazine ‘Defensa’ reported that Morocco wants to benefit from India’s experience in manufacturing military vehicles locally, as part of the Royal Armed Forces’ strategy to qualify its military arsenal over the next decade.

Defensa magazine noted that advanced negotiations are underway with Indian companies to produce armoured vehicles for the Moroccan armed forces to be manufactured in the country, with the possibility of making Morocco an export platform, especially to other African countries.

In order to diversify the sources of supply of weapons systems, Rabat has chosen in recent years to increase its cooperation with India in the field of defence. Last year, the Indian company TATA Advanced Systems supplied LPTA-715 tactical military transport trucks to the Moroccan army, and earlier this year it supplied 90 Tata LPTA 2445 6×6 tactical transport trucks, the Spanish magazine reports.

The Spanish magazine specialising in military affairs stresses that the strengthening of military cooperation between Morocco and India in recent times is evidenced by various indicators, the latest being the statements of the Moroccan minister in charge of investments, Mohcine Jazouli, during the official visit to India, on the existence of talks between Morocco and India to reach an industrial agreement. According to the two parties, this agreement would allow for the domestic manufacture of military vehicles.

The two countries have raised the level of their defence cooperation by signing several agreements over the past three years, and strengthening this relationship in various areas, including cyber security, space technology, infrastructure development and joint financing of defence projects and industries, as military cooperation and trade in weapons and military equipment between Morocco and India is an important factor in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries with the aim of achieving mutual economic benefits, the magazine “Defensa” adds.

Morocco is preparing to enter the world of military industrialisation in the coming years, in an effort to achieve self-sufficiency in defence industries, instead of depending on foreign imports, which will make it a rising military power in the region.