Morocco has bought two unmanned surface vessels (USVs) from the Netherlands in a deal worth about €13 million ($15 million; MAD 139 million). The vessels will help the Royal Moroccan Navy detect submarines and clear sea mines.
The Dutch export licence covers the vessels, sensors, remote control systems, spare parts, training and technical support.
“A Dutch company has recently obtained an export licence for the export of an unmanned surface vessel, including associated sensors, control systems, spare parts, training and technical support,” the Dutch government said.
“The end user of the goods is the Moroccan Navy for missions related to submarine warfare and mine countermeasures.”
The vessels can operate without a crew on board. They can stay at sea to monitor maritime areas, carry out surveillance missions and send information back to naval ships or command centres.
For anti-submarine warfare, the drones can use active and passive sonar, including towed hydrophones, to detect and track submarines. They can patrol key waterways such as the Strait of Gibraltar while keeping sailors out of danger.
For mine countermeasures, the vessels use side-scan sonar, cameras and small underwater drones to find, map and help remove naval mines. This allows mine-clearing missions to be carried out remotely instead of sending crewed ships into dangerous waters.
Dutch authorities approved the deal after reviewing it under the European Union’s eight arms export criteria, which cover issues such as regional stability, security risks and the intended use of military equipment.
The Netherlands described Morocco as “a stable and strategic security partner in an unstable region,” adding that “a stable, reliable and resilient Morocco” is important because of its location on the European Union’s southern border.
The Dutch government also addressed Western Sahara in its assessment.
“Although these activities take place in an area whose international status is disputed, they do not in themselves constitute an indication that the goods concerned will be used for aggression against another state or to enforce territorial claims by force,” it said.
The assessment concluded that the vessels are built for defensive missions.
“These vessels are primarily designed for defensive maritime tasks,” the statement said, adding that they are “mission-specific configured and cannot be deployed for other purposes without substantial modifications.”
