Morocco is currently strengthening and modernising its air power capabilities and developing relationships with partner nations in response to growing tensions in Western Sahara and with Algeria.
A key feature has been the purchase of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 armed medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
A first batch of 13 TB2s (including four ground operation stations) was delivered to the Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) on September 17 and, two months later, an order for a further six was made.
The new legislation would give the Pentagon $3 billion in annual funds for the sole purpose of arming Taiwan—if Taipei can match that special figure itself.
Lessons For India: France Deploys Latest Version Of MQ-9 Reaper Drones For Counter-Terror Operations
France has, for the first time, deployed the latest MQ-9 ‘Block-5’ Reaper armed drone in counterterror operations in Africa. India is among the countries that is plagued by terrorism and uses MQ-9 Reaper drones.
On May 14, the latest version of the MQ-9 Reaper of the French Air & Space Force took off from an airbase in Niamey, Niger’s capital city, according to a French Defense Ministry statement.
This was the drone’s first operational sortie in the French service, during which it provided support to the soldiers of Bison Desert Tactical Group under ‘Operation Barkhane’. The counter-terror operation was launched against armed militant groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the Nokara region of Gourma (Burkina Faso).