Royal Moroccan Army

From the beginning of 21st-century, the Moroccan army began a modernisation program that included the purchase of modern equipment and the transformation into a more professional army performing multiple exercises with allied's armies, and as a Major non-NATO ally of the US, and member of the initiative 5+5[10] and other cooperation agreements. The army's modernisation program took shape with the acquisitions of weapons such as the Chinese VT-1A and MRLS AR2, American M1A1 Abrams, the HAWK air defense system or the M109A5 Self-Propelled Howitzer.

The organisation and structure of command remained the same:

• General Command HQ (Rabat)
  • Northern Command (Meknes)
  • Southern Command (Agadir)

Formations are As follows:

• 10 Independent Armored battalions (GEB),
• 3 Mechanized Brigades with 19 battalions (RIMZ),
• 35 Independent Infantry Battalions (BIS),
• 6 Light security Brigades,
• 2 Cavalry and 3 Camel Corps battalions (Meharis),
• 2 Paratroops Brigades (BIP), with 2 Airborne battalions (BIAP), 4 Commando battalions, and
• 13 Artillery battalions (GAR),

Air defence is included in the Artillery structures and divisions.

Armored units are mostly deployed in eastern and southern provinces, all along Algerian border and Moroccan wall. More than 1000 tanks are in service: 384 M1 Abrams, 150 VT-1A, 148 T-72B and 427 M60A3/A3TTS Patton. 225 M48 Pattons were retired from active service and stored as reserve with the 1991 cease-fire, the 109 SK-105 Kürassiers had the same fate.

The mechanized brigades and cavalry are equipped with Light Armored Carrier (LAVs), armored personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport, combat and recon missions, are equipped with, more or less: 1,900 M113 in different variants (M113A1/A1-B/A2 APCs, M106A1/A2 mortar carriers, M163 VADS, M981 FISTV, M901A1, etc.), 60 Ratel 20/90, 395 VAB VCI/VTT, 110 ex-Belgian AIFV, 175 AML 90/60 and 110 AMX 10 RC. Other APCs are part of other corps as the Auxiliary's UR-416, or the recent purchase of 88 Lenco BearCat for the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie.

The Artillery, grouped in GARs, includes Self-Propelled Howitzers, towed Howitzers, MRLS and Air Defense Systems, mortar carriers are part of the RIMZ. The equipment includes: 350 155mm M109 SPH in different versions, 60 203mm M110A2 SPH, received as EDA from USA, and 100 155mm Mk F3 remain in service. Note that only 155mm towed howitzers are deployed all along the Moroccan Wall, that includes 140 155mm (M198, FH-70, M-1950, M114), 18 130mm (M1954) and 54 105mm (M101 and L118) are deployed in different regions. 3 Battalions of MRLS are also listed as part of RMAs inventory, the first with 36 122mm BM-21, the second with 36 300mm AR2 and third with 400mm WS-2D

Moroccan Anti-Aircraft Warfare have been based basically on Self Propelled Air Defense Systems, 24 sky dragon 50,[11] 36 MIM-23 Hawk XXI HIMAD SAM and 4 HQ-9B to be delivered by the end of 2020.[12] In its inventory we find 72 MIM-72 Chaparral, 12 Tunguska M1, 90 ZSU-23-4, 115 M163 VADS and new sky dragon 50 in addition to The MANPADS used by the infantry are the 9K32 "Strela-2" (SA-7 Grail), 9K38 "Igla" (SA-18 Grouse). Other systems include AAG as M1939 (61-K), ZU-23-2 or M167 VADS, usually mounted on LUVs and CUCVs. For base protections 100 Type-90 (PG99) were purchased from China, and recently, vehicles part of the AF902 FC5/35mm AA Gun Air Defence System has been seen in Moroccan roads. In 2018 an unknown number of Sky Dragon 50 AAS were delivered to Morocco.

The Kingdom of Morocco is part of multiple international organisations, is a Major non-NATO ally, part of the Arab League, and has established military cooperation with different countries such as USA,[13] Russia,[14] Portugal,[15] Tunisia,[16] China, Qatar, Italy, France,[17] Spain,[18] UAE or Turkey.[19] As part of the UN, Moroccan Army participated in different Peacekeeping missions. Moroccan troops were sent as part of SFOR, KFOR, MINUSTAH or the more recent UNSMIS in Syria. It has also responded the call of its allies, taking part of conflicts such as Shaba I, Battle of Mogadishu (1993), the Gulf War or the Operation Scorched Earth, among others. Morocco has dispatched several field hospitals to conflict zones and areas affected by natural disasters, the latest contributions were at Libyan Civil War,[20] the Syrian civil war.[21] and in the Gaza strip after Operation Pillar of Defense.

The Royal Moroccan Army also performs annual training exercise called "African Lion" with the United States Marine Corps. The exercise is a regularly scheduled, combined U.S. - Moroccan military exercise designed to promote improved interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation's tactics, techniques, procedures, unit readiness and enhancing foreign relations.

Morocco has also been the venue for Exercise "Jebel Sahara" since September 2000, taken 10 times since, and gathering elements from 33 Squadron, 230 Squadron, 18 Squadron, 27 Squadron, Joint Helicopter Force HQ from RAF Benson, 1st Battalion Royal Gibraltar Regiment and 2nd Brigade d’Infanterie Parachutiste of the Royal Moroccan Army. The aim of the Exercise was to increase the Support Helicopter warfighting capability in desert 'hot and high' conditions and foster good relations between the UK and Morocco. To achieve this, the scenario consisted of a joint counter insurgency operation in the desert and mountain foothills to re-establish control and authority within a troubled region of North Africa.[22] Another exercises were the "Jebel Tarik", with the Moroccan contribution of service personnel to an annual bilateral deployment of two companies (up to 180 personnel) of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG) to the UK, on seven occasions since 2003.[23] "Desert Vortex", a one-off bilateral helicopter exercise which is run between 16 May and 30 June 2009. This was a UK training exercise with objectives set by Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) and run concurrently with Moroccan Air Force annual helicopter crew training.[24]

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment ran an exercise with the Moroccan 2e Brigade d'Infanterie Parachutiste (2e BIP) in late 2008.[25]

The Royal Armed Forces also take part of different international exercises as Leapfest,[26] Flintlock,[27] Blue Sand,[28] and occasional military operations exercises with Belgium, U.A.E., Spain, France and others.