Morocco Buys Israeli Missile Defense System in $600M Deal

Morocco will acquire an advanced air and missile defense system from the state-run Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in a $600 million deal, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The deal, for the purchase of the Barak MX system, began to take shape during a visit last November by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, according to Israel’s Channel 12 TV news and the financial daily Globes newspaper. Barak MX provides a single integrated solution for multiple simultaneous aerial threats from different sources, including fighters, sea-skimming and cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, drones, helicopters, and gliding bombs, in several mission types and battle conditions, the reports said. The system offers three interception ranges: 35, 70 and 150 kilometers. Tensions are on the rise between Morocco and its neighbor Algeria over several disputes, including the Western Sahara conflict. Morocco and Israel established full diplomatic relations in December 2020 in a deal facilitated by the United States that included American recognition of Morocco’s claim on Western Sahara.