The Dutch frigate SIGMA delivered in September to Royal Moroccan Navy

The modernization of the Moroccan naval fleet continues at a steady pace. Algeria is to catch up in recent years has increased its purchases from Italy, Russia and the latest, in May, China.

The Royal Moroccan Navy in September will receive its third and final type corvette SIGMA Dutch-made.This is an information site Sea and Navy. The building of approximately 98 meters and can accommodate a crew of 96 men "sailed May 22 from Flushing, the Netherlands, to conduct its acceptance testing in the North Sea," says the source. A period necessary to ensure the "nautical performance of the frigate."

The next acquisition is part of a contract, signed in 2008 between Morocco and the Dutch manufacturer for the delivery of three corvettes in the amount of 500 million euros. The first two are the Tarik Ibn Ziyad and Moulay El Hassan. In addition to these frigates, Rabat has, since the fall of 2011, its unique multi-mission frigate (FREMM), called the Mohammed VI, whose French manufacturing price amounts to 470 million euros. This is the flagship of the Royal Navy.

Naval race between Morocco and Algeria

Different contracts that Morocco signed in 2008 with French and Dutch have not impressed at all the Algerian authorities. If Morocco has opted to purchase a single multimission frigate, Algeria, with strong foreign reserves, has seen much. In 2008 she ordered six FREMM not to France but in Italy. A contract of 4 billion euros. This amount includes, also, the bill for the acquisition of Agusta 100 helicopters. May 2012, the daily Oran, reports that the eastern neighbor has just signed with China Shipbuilding Trading Company a contract for the construction of three frigates. A contract that has not yet been formalized.

Modernizing the aging fleet very Algerian has also resulted in the last command of Algerian naval forces: a contract of 2.2 billion euros with German TKMS for delivery of two Meko corvettes, armed missiles by Swedish Saab Bofors and Denel of South Africa. The corvettes will be equipped with six Super Lynx helicopters for the Italian Agusta Westland. In addition, Algiers is awaiting delivery of two Russian-built corvettes type Tigris whose contract was signed in 2011.