The Royal Moroccan Navy obtained four “52 Fearless Super Interceptor” speedboats from the American manufacturer Metal Shark, according to Military Africa.
As part of Morocco and the United States’ broader military engagement, the ships will help the Royal Moroccan Navy in conducting coastal patrols and interdicting criminal activity.
The 52 Fearless Super Interceptor can reach 70 knots thanks to two 1,650 horsepower MAN 12-cylinder diesel inboard engines coupled to Arneson ASD14 surface drives via ZF transmissions.
The vessel’s flexible design allows for a maximum fuel capacity of 1,000 gallons, leading to 12.5 hours of endurance at 50 knots.
It is a high-performance military patrol vessel with offshore capability and top speeds of 70 knots.
Metal Shark manufactured the 52 Fearless Super Interceptor in an address to military operators’ rising demand for larger, faster interdiction vessels with longer range and improved capability to withstand challenging sea conditions.
The Kingdom has broadened its suppliers in order to upgrade and enhance its arsenal through strategic alliances with other countries such as the United States.
In March 2022, the country obtained the first ten Metal Shark boats from the US for special operations, coastal policing, port entry surveillance, and coastal interception, according to the same source.
Morocco however is currently facing some challenges in modernizing its ground battle tank fleet due to the repercussions of global conflicts.
According to Military Africa, projects to acquire Israeli Merkava MK3, American M1A1 Abrams, and Czech T-72M tanks are delayed and encounter difficulties due to conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
That said, and despite these obstacles, the Royal Armed Forces are still seeking to strengthen their land armor capabilities in line with King Mohammed VI’s strategic vision for modernizing the Moroccan Army.
Moroccan projects are hampered by ongoing wars, affecting Morocco’s ability to develop new tanks or modernize existing ones.
At present, the Royal Armed Forces has just over a thousand tanks of various models, including the T-72 and VT-14, some of which require upgrading to meet the military challenges of the 21st century.
In addition, Morocco and Israel had reached an agreement last June for the acquisition of Merkava MK3 tanks, but Israel’s war on Gaza has cooled the potential deal.
One of the main reasons put forward by experts for the suspension of this agreement concluded last June is that the Israeli army, engaged in its own conflict, needs all its resources, including decommissioned equipment such as the Merkava MK3s set aside since 2016, scheduled to be renovated and sold to Morocco for $1.2 billion.
These agreements, though on hold, are by no means cancelled.
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