French drone maker Delair is opening a new branch in Morocco called Delair Africa, which will act as its main base for work across the African continent.
The new office will be in Rabat. The company says it chose the capital because it is close to government departments and the main decision makers for defence and security deals. It also benefits from links to Casablanca’s international airport, which makes it easier to serve other African countries.
At first, Delair Africa will have around 10 staff. Their job will be to support customers across Africa with technical help and logistics. Until now, this work was handled from the company’s headquarters in Toulouse, France.
Delair has been working in Africa since the early 2010s. It delivered its first drones to Niger in 2019 and has since expanded to countries including Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, Benin and Morocco. In Morocco, the Royal Gendarmerie bought 15 DT-26 drones in 2021 to help monitor borders.
The DT-26 is used for long-distance surveillance. The newer DT-61 model can take off vertically without a runway and can fly for up to seven hours, making it suitable for difficult terrain such as deserts.
The move comes as Morocco pushes to grow its defence industry and reduce reliance on imports. The country has set up two special industrial zones to attract defence companies and encourage local production and training.
Drones are a key part of this plan. Morocco already works with several international partners, including Israel’s BlueBird Aero Systems and Turkey’s Baykar, both involved in drone-related projects. The United States is also planning a regional drone training centre in Morocco as part of joint military exercises in 2026.
Morocco is also promoting a plan to help landlocked Sahel countries reach the Atlantic, aiming to become a key access point for trade and logistics in the region.
At the same time, other defence projects are growing in the country, including a new armoured vehicle plant by India’s Tata group. Morocco’s defence budget for 2026 has reached 73 billion dirhams, with a focus on local production and partnerships with France.
Delair’s expansion follows its growing presence in Ukraine, where it has supplied more than 150 drones for reconnaissance missions.
