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Israel’s defense sector is expanding its reach into North Africa as an Israeli aerospace company plans to launch the region’s first large-scale facility for producing loitering munitions, often referred to as suicide drones. BlueBird Aero Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is set to open the plant in Benslimane near Casablanca, marking a notable advancement in Morocco’s growing defense manufacturing ambitions.
Loitering munitions are unmanned systems equipped with a warhead that can patrol an area, identify a target, and strike by crashing directly into it. These drones are versatile, with missions that can be canceled mid-flight and operational ranges that vary from portable models to larger systems capable of extended operations.
The Moroccan plant will assemble SpyX drones, precision-strike systems designed to target armored vehicles, military installations, and other strategic assets. While countries such as Sudan and Ethiopia have begun exploring similar technology—Sudan unveiling the Kamin 25 FPV drone in 2023 and Ethiopia opening a general UAV production facility in 2025—Morocco’s operation is the first large-scale, formal site manufacturing this category of Israeli-designed system.
Each SpyX unit is built to carry a small warhead, operate autonomously for over an hour, and travel at high speed. Beyond production, Moroccan engineers will receive specialized training in assembling, maintaining, and testing the systems—laying groundwork for future domestic defense programs.
This development highlights North Africa’s emergence as a growing center for advanced defense and aerospace production, historically dominated by Asian and European industries. Morocco has sharply increased its defense spending under King Mohammed VI, with the 2026 budget reaching a record $15.7 billion. The country’s modernization strategy includes acquiring sophisticated equipment such as Abrams tanks, Atmos artillery, Barak 8 air defenses, and guided rocket systems.
Defense ties with Israel have strengthened since Morocco normalized relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020. Between 2019 and 2023, Israeli systems accounted for 11% of Morocco’s imported defense hardware, according to SIPRI.
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By expanding local production capacity, training skilled technicians, and integrating advanced technologies, Morocco is positioning itself as a regional leader in defense innovation. The new SpyX facility could evolve into a production and export hub for drone technologies across Africa and the Middle East, marking a major milestone in North Africa’s military industrial development.
