For the first time, Morocco is preparing to acquire intelligent anti-ship coastal defense systems
This will be the first time in Morocco's history that the country has a coastal defense equipped with anti-ship missiles. The Moroccan army plans to acquire a coastal defense system capable of protecting its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the most valuable option having a range of 300 km.
Morocco has a coastline extending along two seafronts with a total length of about 3,500 kilometers, of which more than 500 are in the Mediterranean Sea and about 3,000 along the Atlantic Ocean.
Israeli-made coastal defense systems appear to be the army's best choice among the options studied, which included Chinese and Turkish factory systems. In fact, the Artillery Command had already made the necessary changes to create a coastal defense unit. It will be ready to start training once it chooses the right system that meets its specific requirements and needs.
Rafael's Sea Breaker and IAI's Blue Spear
Among the Israeli options evaluated were the Sea Breaker systems from Rafael and the Blue Spear from IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) in cooperation with ST Engineering in Singapore. These two fifth-generation missiles are among the most advanced missiles for attacking naval and coastal targets, with a range of about 300 kilometers.
Of these two systems, Sea Breaker could be the preferred choice for Morocco. This missile is distinguished by its ability to carry out precise attacks against naval and land targets, using infrared technology and artificial intelligence to detect and target targets. This capability could be crucial to strengthening maritime sovereignty and improving coastal defences, especially in maritime environments such as the Mediterranean.
In addition, the system is based on Rafael's SPYDER mobile launchers, which have already sparked Morocco's interest in strengthening its medium-range air defense, making it suitable for the joint integration of coastal defense and air defense forces.
The Chinese-made CM-302 (YJ-12B) system has been on the Moroccan Army's radar for several years. It uses a supersonic missile, unlike Israeli systems whose speed does not exceed Mach 1. The Chinese missile can reach a speed of Mach 3, and can maintain hypersonic speeds throughout its path. In addition, they fly low to avoid detection by radar, making detection and interception difficult.
However, Algeria’s acquisition of this system in 2022 may affect Morocco’s decision and may exclude it from the list of possible options.
As for the Barbaros system, affiliated with the Turkish company ROKETSAN, it uses ATMACA and Cakir missiles. It can fire 4 ATMACA missiles or 6 Cakir missiles from the Barbaros coastal defense system battery. The ATMACA missile has a range of 220 km, while the Cakir missile has a range of 150 km. Both missiles have multiple guidance modes, including active radar guidance RF, infrared guidance IIR, or hybrid guidance that combines active radar and infrared (IIR+RF). Both missiles have high subsonic speed and have network data link capabilities.
Morocco currently relies on its naval and air fleet to ensure the security of its coasts. However, with the introduction of coastal defence, the country will be able to control its territorial waters, exclusive economic zones and other coastal areas. By enhancing its surveillance and targeting capabilities at sea and establishing an Access and Denial Area (A2/AD), it will also be able to close sea lanes and deny access to its coastal areas to conduct amphibious operations on its territory.
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