Military sources indicate that Morocco has finalised plans to purchase Israel’s Delilah short-range cruise missile for its fleet of F-5, a supersonic light fighter jet, according to a report.
The missile system will be the first missile in Morocco’s arsenal to effectively operate on land and sea targets within the range of 250 km.
It is developed by Israeli weapon manufacturer Elbit Systems and will be the first of its kind in Morocco’s defense arsenal, Defensa –a Spanish military news website noted.
The deal is still awaiting Morocco’s sealing of an agreement with Israeli security institutions. Israeli security authorities scrutinise the country’s arms exports over concerns of the possibility of the weapons falling into the hands of adverse militarised entities.
Jews of Moroccan origin are strongly lobbying to wend off these concerns and see through the sale. Morocco intends to use the Delilah cruise missiles to upgrade its already-existing fleet of F-2 fighter jets.
Apart from augmenting with the Delilah cruise missile, Morocco plans to upgrade the fighter jets with digital displays, fire control radars, as well as advanced data links.
Expected upgrades also covers advanced sponsor systems, signal jamming systems, and the air-to-ground and air-to-air attack missiles the likes of the Delilah cruise missile.
In April, the country entered a deal with a Belgian defence contractor for the launching of military-grade aircraft.
The measure is in line with Morocco’s strategy to incorporate weapon manufacturing into its industrial apparatus.
