A recent report revealed that Morocco has established itself as one of the prominent players in the field of military drones on the African continent, with only one country surpassing it in terms of the total number of operational military drones.
The report, published by the magazine Military Africa, which specializes in defense affairs, relied on an open database that tracks the acquisition of military drones on the African continent, including 234 acquisition operations in 34 countries during the period from 1980 to 2026.
According to the report, the total number of military drones recorded in Africa reached 1,959 aircraft, distributed across various categories and military missions, from reconnaissance and surveillance to combat operations and tactical support.
Morocco ranked second in Africa in terms of the total number of military drones, with its fleet consisting of 279 aircraft, advancing ahead of several regional military powers on the continent.
Egypt topped the African ranking with 313 drones, followed by Morocco with 279 drones, then Nigeria with 256 drones, Ethiopia with 136 drones, and Algeria with 128 drones. The list of the top ten countries also included Libya (Libyan National Army) with 102 drones, South Africa with 99 drones, Tunisia with 59 drones, the previous Libyan Government of National Accord with 53 drones, and Cameroon with 49 drones.
In another indicator reflecting the level of technological advancement of African fleets, the report showed that Morocco leads the continent in the category of medium and high-altitude long-endurance drones (MALE/HALE), which are among the most advanced systems capable of carrying out reconnaissance, surveillance, and long-range operations.
According to the same data, Morocco possesses 102 aircraft from this advanced category, outpacing Egypt, which has 92 aircraft, Algeria with 86 aircraft, Nigeria with 71 aircraft, and Libya with 40 aircraft.
The report noted that this advancement reflects the continuous investments made by the Kingdom in recent years to modernize its defense capabilities and enhance its unmanned systems, as part of a strategy aimed at increasing operational readiness and developing surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and border protection.
The report also indicated that the military drone market in Africa is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the increasing need for aerial surveillance systems, intelligence gathering, and combating cross-border security threats, making drones an essential component of the modernization plans for African armies.
