According to the
publication, the Royal Moroccan Navy has selected several candidates to supply
the two maritime patrol aircraft. The ATR 72 MP from Leonardo and the C295 from
Airbus are preferred candidates. However, the evaluation process for all
potential candidates will continue over the next few months, with technical and
financial aspects.
In addition to the
European candidates, the P-8 Poseidon from the American company Boeing will be
considered, but this aircraft has financial disadvantages due to its price and high
operational cost. Lockheed Martin, an American company, proposed the SC-130J
Sea Hercules, but it was rejected.
Morocco is heavily involved in the security of the Strait of Gibraltar due to its extensive coastline (2,952 km) and strategic location overlooking the important international waterway. Because of the complexity of the issue and its legal and political ramifications, there are no formal maritime boundaries between Morocco and Spain, whether in the Mediterranean or off the Atlantic coast. The existence of a territorial dispute between Morocco and Spain over the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla is just one factor that has made it impossible for the two countries to reach an agreement on the delimitation of their maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean.