After made a record breaking into the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it set a new record: the first African country to provide military aid to Ukraine. We also wrote a special article Moroccan aid in an article a few days ago. Ukraine's T-72 Soviet-made tank 
On the first day of the new year, this small North African country began to add obstacles to China again, announcing that it would ban the entry of all people from China from January 3, 2023, regardless of nationality, "to avoid a new wave of new coronavirus infections." The statement pointed out that Morocco firmly believes that this decision "will not affect the profound friendship between the two peoples and the strategic partnership between the two countries."
Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Morocco
Morocco is an African country, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of more than 36 million, and a land area of nearly 460,000 square kilometers, which is larger than my country's Gansu Province. It faces Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar and is the closest African country to Europe. Its natural scenery is also similar to Europe. It has a blue Atlantic coast and a blue sky, and is known as the "Back Garden of Europe."
Casablanca
Morocco economic aggregate ranks fifth in Africa (after Nigeria , Egypt , South Africa, Algeria ), and North Africa ranks third.
According to the 2022 Global Firepower rankings, Morocco ranks 55th in military strength among 140 countries worldwide.
In terms of combat tank fleet strength by country, Morocco ranks eighth with 3,335 tanks. The country also ranked 30th with 144 rocket launchers , 29th with 3,500 armored vehicles , 16th with 517 self-propelled guns , and 44th with 211 towed artillery.
M1A1 Abrams tank
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces has 325,000 soldiers, including 200,000 active duty, 100,000 reserves and 25,000 paramilitary personnel, according to Global Firepower.
The Moroccan Air Force consists of 249 military aircraft, including 83 interceptors, 64 helicopters and 29 transport aircraft . The Royal Navy has 121 warships, including one frigate, 6 frigates and 22 patrol ships.
Morocco buys 90% of its weapons from the United States, 9.2% from France and 0.3% from the United Kingdom, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In Africa, Egypt ranks first (12th globally), followed by Algeria (31st), Nigeria (35th) and Morocco (55th). Morocco ranks behind Uzbekistan and before Hungary.
Conducting military exercises with the United States
Morocco has received the US's "Major Non-NATO Ally" designation, Washington awards it to countries outside the Atlantic Alliance with closer security ties to it, and is one of only three countries on the African continent to do so (along with Tunisia ).
Furthermore, the normalization of relations with Israel in 2020, in addition to the United States recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara and strengthening relations with Washington, opened Morocco's doors to the powerful Israeli military industry and brought closer relations with the United Arab Emirates, a country sometimes called "Little Sparta" for its strong military potential. In this way, Morocco has been purchasing modern equipment in recent years, aiming to make Morocco a military power in various fields.
In 2008, the Moroccan Air Force took a major leap forward with the acquisition of more than 20 U.S. F-16C/D Block 52+ fighter-bombers, which bombers received in 2011.
F-16C/D Block 52+
For the Army, Morocco also purchased 222 M1A1 Abrams tanks in 2012 and is expected to receive an additional 162 M1A2 Abrams tanks in the near future. This American tank is considered one of the most advanced tanks in the world.
Through this rapid modernization, Morocco aims to move closer to the capabilities of its rival Algeria, traditionally considered the main military power in the Maghreb . Bilateral relations between the two countries have been difficult since independence, with Morocco and Algeria competing for regional dominance.
Moroccan soldiers
In terms of military potential, Morocco has risen to 55th place in the global firepower rankings, while Algeria ranks 31st. Morocco benefits from Western armaments and cooperation, while Algeria benefits from Moscow . For example, Morocco now has the powerful F-16, Algeria has the more powerful Sukhoi Su-30 (Algeria has reportedly purchased Sukhoi Su-34), Morocco's Abrams tanks face Algeria's T-90S, and the Patriot air defense system needs to correspond to Russia's S-400.
Therefore, in terms of military strength, Morocco is at best a little bully in the northern region. This operation is just a small move under the instruction of the American master.
