فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In a notable development in naval armament, reports indicate that the Kingdom of Morocco is striving to equip its Royal Navy with submarines as soon as possible. This move comes as part of the kingdom’s efforts to fill a significant gap in its naval capabilities and face potential threats from Algeria, which recently announced orders for two new submarines.
Over the past decade, Morocco has significantly strengthened and modernized its armed forces. It has purchased upgraded F-16 fighters and Abrams battle tanks from the United States, as well as combat drones from Israel, Turkey, and China, in addition to defense systems and spy satellites. However, the Royal Navy has continued to suffer from a clear deficiency in not possessing any submarines.
The kingdom currently owns three corvettes and a French FREMM frigate, and has built a naval base in the city of Ksar Sghir. Yet, its efforts to acquire submarines in recent years have not yet borne fruit. Morocco had previously shown interest in the Russian Amur-class submarine, a fifth-generation vessel. In 2017, it entered into negotiations with the Greek navy to purchase some of its submarines, but these initiatives did not achieve the desired success.
According to the Spanish newspaper “El Confidencial Digital”, Morocco’s need to possess submarines has become more urgent, especially after Algeria’s recent order for two new Russian 636M “Kilo” class submarines, considered among the quietest diesel submarines in the world. These new submarines will join the four submarines already owned by the Algerian navy.
The Spanish newspaper points out that the Spanish navy owns one submarine and is waiting for another to ensure optimal surveillance of the coast, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Alboran Sea, noting that Morocco does not match other naval powers in the strait. For this reason, acquiring a submarine has become a priority for Morocco, which recognizes the need to rearm to face any potential threat from its traditional rival, Algeria.
These developments highlight the escalating arms race in North Africa and its impact on the strategic balance in the region, raising questions about the future of relations between Maghreb countries and the implications of this race on regional security.
