Morocco expands drone strike arsenal with UAE’s Desert Sting weapons and guided bomb kits

Morocco has signed a contract with UAE defence group EDGE to supply precision weapons for its combat drones, adding another supplier to the North African country’s expanding military partnerships.

• Morocco has signed a contract with UAE defence group EDGE to equip its combat drones with precision weapons.
• The agreement covers Desert Sting 16 guided-glide weapons and Thunder P-31 guided munitions.
• It includes integration into the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s drone fleet and long-term support.
• The contract’s value, quantities and delivery timetable have not been disclosed.

The agreement was signed on 9 October at the Marrakech Air Show and covers Desert Sting 16 guided-glide weapons and Thunder P-31 precision-guided munitions for the Royal Moroccan Air Force.

Beyond supplying the weapons, EDGE will integrate them into Morocco’s unmanned combat aircraft fleet and provide long-term support. The company has not identified the aircraft that will receive each system.

The contract’s value, the number of weapons ordered and the delivery timetable remain undisclosed. The announcement confirms a purchase agreement, with no indication that deliveries or operational deployment have begun.

According to Médias24’s report⁠, which reproduces EDGE’s announcement, the agreement includes UAE-developed weapons tailored to Morocco’s operational requirements, alongside continuing supply and support.

What the weapons add

Both systems were developed by HALCON, an EDGE company, but they serve different purposes.

The Desert Sting 16 is a lightweight guided weapon released from an aircraft before gliding towards its target. EDGE lists its total weight at 23kg, including a 12kg warhead.

Its published maximum range is 15 kilometres, based on release at a specified speed and an altitude of 30,000 feet. That is a manufacturer’s performance specification, the distance achieved in service depends on how the weapon is released.

Thunder P-31 uses a guidance kit fitted to a conventional Mk 81 aerial bomb, allowing it to be directed towards a target rather than dropped without guidance.

EDGE lists the complete P-31 weapon at 140kg, with a published range of 27 kilometres under its specified release conditions. That weight refers to the assembled weapon, rather than the guidance kit alone.

Both families use inertial navigation supported by satellite positioning. A laser-guidance option can improve accuracy against a designated target, although the announcement does not specify Morocco’s chosen configuration.

A link to Turkish drone technology

The purchase follows earlier work between EDGE and Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar to make Emirati weapons compatible with its aircraft.

In January 2024, the companies announced a programme to integrate Desert Sting 16 onto the Bayraktar TB2, with further weapons and aircraft integrations planned.

For Morocco, purchasing weapons that can be integrated into existing aircraft offers a way to expand strike options without necessarily buying an entirely new drone fleet. Its practical benefit will depend on the platforms selected, integration work and delivery schedule.

The signing comes shortly after Moroccan and Emirati military leaders held talks in Rabat on capability development, defence manufacturing and training.

Those discussions built on a military cooperation agreement dating back to 1980. The EDGE purchase adds a specific procurement commitment to that broader relationship.