The arms race between Morocco and Algeria intensifies

The arms race between Algeria and Morocco does not seem to stop, the Algerian military junta is in power for many years to upset the balance of forces in North Africa in its favor, this drawing in its large financial resources generated by pumping and export of hydrocarbons. Successive orders Algerian weapons leave that choice to Morocco to follow the trend to preserve the balance of power and to keep some military deterrence vis-à-vis its rival Algeria. By increasing the scope and intensity of the arms race, the Algerian decision-makers aim to bleed economically Morocco, whose foreign exchange earnings come not easy pumping of subterranean resources but rather economic performance which is struggling to thrive in the context of global economic crisis. FAR military budget in the year 2012 around 5 billion acquisition budget and only around 1 billion dollars, against a budget of over $ 8 billion for Algeria.

Although the FAR budget is relatively small, however it is the ambitions of Morocco, however the budget in national currency FAR from the state budget or in the absence of a national military industry self-sufficient the FAR are forced to import all their needs in terms of weapons, ammunition and spare parts, which poses a problem whenever currency reserves given the limited national currencies which are intended in their majority most vital needs such as payment of energy bills and grain imports.

A 2nd wave of acquisitions Algerian seems to show on the horizon, in fact, the Algerian newspaper El-Khabar reported that AAF (Algerian Air Force) Algerian seems interested in the introduction and for the first time the story of a fighter Western rumored to be the release of the Swedish SAAB Gripen or the Rafale of French Dassault.

The timing and the reasons behind such a strategic decision are manifold. The acquisition of weapons is a matter of first policy insofar as a supplier of weapons, engages through the deed to confer a political and diplomatic support to client countries, it is a more implicit guarantee to provide ammunition and spare parts at all times. For a country that has already suffered a severe military embargo, a country whose officers are trained in Russian military academies and are imbued with socialist ideals and Marxist, Algeria has always had a natural inclination toward the Russian weapons, given the strong historical ties that bind the two countries. However, since the fall of

the USSR, the Russian efforts in research and development are no longer what they were in the days of the Cold War. Indeed, the military budget of the Russian Federation is around 64milliards dollars against more than 689 billion annual budget as the U.S. Pentagon is only 9.28%, this shows among others the Russian inability to stand up even in the United States and thus provide weapons systems that can compete with Western technology in general and the U.S. in particular. Therefore, the technological advance of Western hunters provide clear supremacy vis-à-vis their counterparts from Russia.

Commissioning by Morocco fighter-bomber F16bloc52 + offers unquestionable technological supremacy to Royal Air Force (FRA) in relation to the AAF, the fighter most recently in the inventory of the latter is the SU30MK, with a surface allaire gigantic aggravates its radar signature (Radar Cross Section RCS) according to several sources exceeds 20m ² cons discretion remarkable F16 Moroccan whose RCS does touches not 1m ² making it difficult to detect from a distance which gives it the advantage of "first-look" (see first), "shoot-first" (first hit) and "first-kill" (First Kill) and through the air-to-air medium-range AIM120C7 whose scope ( Range: ~ 90km) and technology far outweigh the cons staffing Russian side in the AAF namely R77E (range: ~ 50km). In addition, the electronic warfare capabilities of the F16 with its sequel Raytheon ACES electronic in addition to its formidable capabilities air-ground mainly due to the laser designation pod Sniper XR, have no counterpart in the Russian military industry.

Thereby hope to compete with the sophisticated offensive capabilities F16bloc52 + Moroccan Algerians do have choice but to turn to the west is build on the French burst, or opt for the Algerian-German rapprochement to the control EF2000 Typhoon or appeal to the acquisition of Swedish Gripen.

Other reasons may justify such a purchase decision, namely the stretching of service and MIG29S Foxbat MIG25 Fulcrum reach their end of life, hence the need for a new interceptor to defend the coastal Algerian batteries S300PMU2 assist in the protection of sensitive sites in Algeria.

- The case of French Rafale: the Algerian regime has been trying to access the power of Bouteflika, to limit French influence in the country. accuses France of Algeria and Morocco to promote bias regarding the Sahara issue. So opt for the burst of the country of the former colonizer is not very feasible, given the tensions almost a decade between the two countries.Even more if the French give pledges and agreed to sell the burst Algerians, the hunter will be greatly limited if he is deprived of Link 16 (L16) system Otanien data exchange tactics used force multiplier and offers 360 ° protection to the hunter and can not be transferred to the Algerians following an agreement by the United States that are sure to oppose it because it threatens one of their key allies namely Morocco. Putting aside the political obstacles that might prevent such a contract, the burst as a fighter is a jet with a large range making it perfect for Algeria, it is more a hunter omnirole for its equipment through various missions to complete Air-Air, Air-to-Ground, Air-Sea.

- The case of Swedish Gripen: Swedes are known to be hostile to the Moroccan Sahara given the sensitivity of public opinion in all matters relating to human rights which allowed the Polisario market in the Scandinavian societies one very negative image of Morocco and has many detrimental to national interests. Algerians began to open to the Swedish military industry including the control of a newly reducing infrared signature "Baracuda" to equip the Algerian T90S battle tank to make it more discreet and less exposed to electro-sensors optical FAR including future FLIR (forward looking infrared) Gen II TIS future Abrams M1A1SA Morocco. JAS-39 Gripen is a single engine, whose range is not enough for small an area as large as that of Algeria, AAF has traditionally opt for jets to defend his heaven, more Gripen has a wide range of components requiring Israeli or U.S. prior to their transfer to Algeria. Something difficult to achieve given the stubbornness of Algeria, his distrust and refusal clauses "end user" (consumer) and inspection imposed by the U.S. to protect their technology to prevent this is transfered client country to rival the United States such as China and Russia.

In case of execution of the contract or the Gripen burst Algeria, North Africa will see the introduction of the first fighter equipped with radar active antenna AESA, in addition to the introduction of the first Air-Air missile with a stratoréacteur (ramjet ) in the METEOR missile MBDA team that both the burst, the Gripen and the EF2000. Reaction suspected of Morocco will probably switch to AESA technology with equipment fleet F16 Moroccan SABR radar either Northrop Grumman or Raytheon NPPR both of which are offered AESA radars for upgrading F16 to this must be added the AIM120D the latest American AMRAAM has also a stratoréacteur, which largely increase the combat capabilities BVR (beyond visual range) of F16 and make it a worthy rival that is the burst of Gripen NG or the EF2000.

Several other contracts Algerian during launch and implementation, namely:

- The specialized international press announced the recent willingness of Algeria to order 2 subs 636 KILO class, which will level the total number of submarines Algerian 6 in number

- Control two German frigates class MEKO2000

- Control two corvettes Russian class TIGER

- Control of LPD amphibious ship force projection Italian

In response to the Algerian acquisitions, FAR body all together continue to follow the trend to upgrade their arsenal and maintain the balance of forces balanced against Algeria, through a number of contracts and ongoing:

- Order of 200 Abrams tanks M1A1SA U.S., the tank has a very advanced composite armor which until now has never been drilled by an enemy shell, in addition to its great ability to survive the chariot has offensive capabilities with a formidable part in advanced electro-optical and FLIR GEN II TIS able to see targets up to 8km and share with other transfer in Morocco M833 shell-arrows to depleted uranium, capable of piercing all enemy armor including reactive bricks KONTAKT-5 turret protecting the Algerian T90S

- Control three SIGMA Class Frigates and one heavy frigate FREMM class with capacities soumarines anti-, anti-ship and anti-aircraft formidable 

- Order 4 C27J Spartan , which resembles a cargo plane but saw his protection IR / ECM (Infrared / electronic counter measures) seems to be intended for advanced airborne troops including the first BIP BIP Salé and second Benguerrir of which are the elite of the Moroccan army and who will be invited to be screened more easily and in safety that either the Eastern Front in the Sahara or outside national territory to reinforce our Gulf allies or as part of a mission UN.

Apart from the concrete contracts already announced by manufacturers, many rumors about possible future contracts FAR including:

 - Control of maritime patrol aircraft, the HC-130J Hercules Sea , which is a version of the C130 Hercules for maritime patrol and anti-scuba, with its equipment of a magnetic anomaly detector ability to drop torpedoes to neutralize enemy submarines. Such a solution will be perfect given the extent of our territorial waters and given the relatively limited depth waters of the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar facilitate monitoring echoes of SM, monitoring and neutralization.

- Modernization of AMX10RC the Army by providing them with a new electro-optical fire control system