New threats, new military doctrine

Traditionally, the Moroccan army has operated discreetly, whether deployed across the sectors of the Southern Military Zone or stationed in barracks and bases throughout the kingdom. Its activities, missions, and especially its armaments have long been kept confidential.

However, in the era of social media, information overload, and «infotainment » (which blurs the line between reputable journalism and pseudo-journalists hungry for fake news and sensationalism), the army has realized the importance of opening up more to public opinion.

Through its official social media accounts, we now see the missions of Royal Armed Forces (FAR) units in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Moroccan military maneuvers during the «African Lion » exercise with foreign armed forces, or the recently acquired American Apache AH-64 helicopters—among the most advanced and feared attack helicopters on the market.

Yet, there remains one area where the FAR still maintain strategic ambiguity: the content of Morocco’s military doctrine. For obvious security and defense secrecy reasons, this doctrine has never been published in a white paper or any official document accessible to the public.

Nonetheless, the modernization of weapons and military equipment, along with the strategic reorganization of force deployment—such as the creation of a new Military Zone in the east—clearly indicate that the Royal Armed Forces are undergoing a deep strategic and doctrinal overhaul.

Shifts in the international strategic environment and the proliferation of threats are driving this overhaul, as is Algeria’s new foreign policy, which is increasingly hostile and aggressive toward Morocco’s interests.

A recurring question among defense experts is: What are the main lines of Morocco’s military doctrine, and how does it impact the strategy set by military leaders?

Although not formalized in an official text, Morocco’s military doctrine has been shaped over decades by the threats and military conflicts the country has faced.

Its contours remain vague and imprecise to the general public, as does its relationship to strategy. To lay the groundwork: military doctrine, set by the highest political and military authorities, establishes the general framework and principles of action for an army, while military strategy, developed and implemented by the army’s general staff, translates these principles into concrete operational plans and programs tailored to threats.

Defense of territory and force projection

Morocco’s military doctrine is characterized by the absence of an official strategic document (at least one accessible to the public) like France’s white paper, but it is nonetheless based on tacit and consistent principles shaped by recent history and the kingdom’s geostrategic context.

It revolves around two fundamental pillars: defending the territory and national sovereignty, and participating in peacekeeping operations and international military coalitions. This approach favors a defensive and deterrent posture focused on border protection and preventing external threats, while also adopting a controlled power projection strategy for UN conflict resolution missions.

According to Amine Ater, defense specialist and instructor at the School of Economic Warfare in Rabat, «defending national territory and sovereignty, participating in peacekeeping operations, or joining international military coalitions represent the visible or easily identifiable part of Morocco’s military doctrine; the scarce literature does not allow us to paint a realistic picture of how Moroccan defense doctrine is truly conceptualized by FAR strategists ».

This posture, historically defensive but firmly multilateral in external military operations (OPEX), underlines Morocco’s determination to preserve territorial sovereignty while actively contributing to regional and international stability. It illustrates a balance between a firm defensive stance and a strategic commitment to UN peacekeeping missions.

As Ali Moutaib, associate director at Hyperborée Advisors, notes: «This pragmatic approach reflects the balance sought between national security imperatives and ambitions for regional and international influence ».

Territorial reorganization in the face of a hostile neighbor

This doctrine underwent a major transformation with the creation of the Eastern Military Zone in January 2022, responding to a regional geopolitical context marked by growing Algerian hostility. As Moutaib points out, «for decades, the FAR focused on the asymmetric threat posed by the Polisario—a militia practicing guerrilla warfare with Algerian logistical and military support ».

He adds that this threat was effectively contained thanks to two key factors: the operational discipline of the FAR and the strategic construction of the sand wall, which greatly reduced separatist incursions into Moroccan territory.

For Moutaib, the territorial reorganization of the FAR marks a major step in the evolution of Morocco’s military doctrine: «The recent creation of the Eastern Military Zone and the reallocation of significant resources to this region reveal a profound transformation in Morocco’s threat assessment ».

Threats now come not only from the south along the 2,700-kilometer defense line (crossing Guelmim, Laâyoune, and Dakhla), but also from the east, along the Algerian border, especially since diplomatic ties with Algiers were severed by the current military regime. Amin Ater agrees, noting that «the creation of the Eastern Zone also came at a time when Algeria was making no effort to hide its threats and warlike declarations against Morocco ».

Technological and qualitative modernization of the arsenal

Over the past fifteen years, Morocco has pursued an ambitious policy of acquiring advanced military equipment, including F-16 Block 70s, Bayraktar TB2 drones, and Himars artillery systems. This strategy clearly aims to offset the Algerian army’s quantitative superiority with technological and qualitative superiority.

«As with any professional army, the main goal remains to maintain a deterrent capacity, gain technological superiority, and thus be able to neutralize any threat against the kingdom », Ater explains. This quest for technological advantage is why the FAR opt for cutting-edge equipment, such as Patriot missile batteries, intended to counter the combined threat of Iskander missiles and Algeria’s fighter fleet.

Moutaib notes, «Modern military history shows that technological and qualitative superiority can more than compensate for numerical disadvantage. Recent conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh or Ukraine have clearly shown how technologically advanced forces can neutralize quantitatively superior but obsolete arsenals ».

Thus, Morocco prioritizes precision and technological quality over sheer numbers. The strategic objective is clear: avoid a costly arms race with Algeria and instead achieve effective deterrence through qualitative superiority.

Diversification of alliances and hybrid doctrine

By multiplying its strategic partners—such as the United States, Israel, Turkey, and Brazil—Morocco not only strengthens its arsenal through arms transfer agreements but also its diplomatic position. This marks a break from exclusive alliances with traditional NATO partners, the US and France.

As Moutaib explains, «While securing access to breakthrough American and Israeli technologies (Apache, Himars, Barak missiles), Morocco deliberately maintains partnerships with China, Turkey, India, and Brazil ». This diversification policy has three goals: «Preserve strategic autonomy against potential embargoes, access complementary technologies at competitive costs, and strengthen bargaining power with all suppliers ».

Confronted with new hybrid threats, like cybercrime, electronic warfare, and drone use, Morocco is proactively adapting its military doctrine to a hybrid approach, combining conventional capabilities with new forms of cognitive and technological warfare. As Moutaib notes, «The FAR’s strategic adaptation to hybrid and technological threats demonstrates a clear-sighted vision of the modern battlefield ».

For our expert, «by investing in electronic warfare systems, ISR drones, and satellite capabilities, Morocco recognizes that informational superiority is now as crucial as conventional firepower ».  This innovative approach allows the FAR, according to Moutaib, to detect and neutralize threats before they materialize kinetically.

Ater shares this view with a caveat: «Technology is now at the heart of everything, including the military, but it would be suicidal to rely entirely on high-tech systems, which can be hacked, detected, or jammed ». Hence the importance of combining high-tech equipment with rugged, easily repairable hardware.