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Morocco seeks submarines alongside Dutch unmanned vessels, report says

A naval expansion plan pairs mine-clearing and underwater surveillance with a broader effort to diversify arms suppliers.

Channel: Al Mashhad Arabic channel ·

Arab worldStory of November 7, 2026Trari Newsroom

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Al Mashhad المشهد: An Arabic news channel broadcasting from Dubai since 2023. 6.7M subscribers and 3.6B views.

الجيش المغربي يطلب مركبات بحرية وغواصات لمراقبة أعماق البحار - المشهد اليوم

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0:16The report outlines Morocco's naval ambitions and concerns among Spain's political right.
1:11A Dutch agreement covers two unmanned surface vessels; the report separately describes plans for three attack submarines.
2:40Choukair explains supplier diversification, naming Spain, the Netherlands and prospective submarine suppliers France and South Korea.
4:06He identifies smuggling, migration and shipping near Gibraltar as reasons to strengthen maritime security.
6:22The discussion turns to Spain, Algeria, changing military priorities and the Western Sahara dispute.

Morocco is pursuing unmanned surface vessels and attack submarines as it expands its naval capabilities across the Mediterranean and Atlantic, according to Al Mashhad (المشهد), the United Arab Emirates-based Arabic-language broadcaster.

The report describes an agreement with the Netherlands for two unmanned surface vessels intended for naval mine countermeasures and underwater surveillance. Separately, it says Morocco aims to acquire three advanced attack submarines by 2027. The submarine purchase is presented as an ambition, rather than a completed deal.

Speaking by video link from Rabat, military affairs expert Mohamed Choukair places those efforts within a strategy of buying equipment from a wider range of countries. He discusses procurement involving Spain and the Netherlands, with France and South Korea among the prospective submarine suppliers.

Morocco's geography helps explain the emphasis on naval capabilities: the North African country has both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. Choukair argues that protecting those waters requires attention to smuggling, migration and shipping near the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as tensions affecting maritime chokepoints farther afield.

The broadcast also examines the regional implications. Its opening report describes concerns among Spain's political right about Morocco's growing capabilities. Choukair discusses the naval balance with Spain and Algeria, linking Morocco's changing military priorities under King Mohammed VI to regional security questions, including the Western Sahara dispute.

For Choukair, the purchases are part of a wider argument about maritime security: he describes the Royal Moroccan Navy as a safeguard that needs strengthening, not simply a fleet acquiring new equipment.

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