Spain is expected to deliver an offshore patrol vessel it is building for Morocco before August 2026, with July set as the target month, according to Spanish media outlet El Economista.
The military ship, announced in January 2021 and currently undergoing sea trials in Cádiz, is the first Spanish-built vessel for Morocco in 40 years.
Navantia will deliver the ship without weapons systems, the report said, leaving Morocco to install its armament upon receipt based on its operational requirements.
The vessel is based on the Avante 1800 design and is capable of hosting a main gun of 57 mm or 75 mm, two 25 mm or 30 mm secondary guns, and missile systems for air and surface defense.
Built in San Fernando, the vessel measures 87 meters in length and 13 meters in beam, with a crew capacity of 60. The project is estimated to have generated around 1,100 jobs annually over three years.
The deal was financed through a 95 million euro ($103 million) loan from Banco Santander, with a total contract value of 130 million euros ($141 million). Construction officially began in July 2023.
The package also includes logistics support, spare parts, technical documentation and training for Moroccan naval personnel in Spain.
The report said Morocco is expected to use the vessel for maritime monitoring and extended offshore operations.
It added that no new contracts between Navantia and Morocco are currently planned in the short term.
The vessel is the first Moroccan warship constructed in Spain since 1983, when Navantia’s predecessor delivered the Lieutenant Colonel Errahmani frigate.
Its arrival aligns with King Mohammed VI’s broader military modernization strategy, which emphasizes air defense, armored forces and, increasingly, naval capabilities to protect trade routes and address irregular migration and smuggling networks off Morocco’s coasts.
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