Is Morocco eyeing Russia's S-400 missile defense systems ?

The Russian state agency Sputnik has reported that Morocco is interested in acquiring the Russian «S-400» missile defense systems, along with 12 other countries, including Qatar, Iraq, and Vietnam, without providing further details.

This defense system was unveiled in 2007, and it can detect any aerial target within a range from several meters to hundreds of kilometers. It can engage its targets at a range of up to 400 km and an altitude of up to 30,000 meters above the ground.

Many countries possess this system, including China, Turkey, and India, and Algeria has had it since 2021.

Traditionally, Morocco relies primarily on the United States for its armament, and to a lesser extent, on other European countries. Washington is keen to prevent its allies from relying on the Russian arms industry and has even resorted to imposing sanctions on them at times.