Strategic Goals Behind Morocco’s Interest in the Italian Frigate 'Frame'

An Italian magazine said that "Morocco will join Indonesia and Egypt, as another Muslim country looking to acquire the Italian frigates of the Frame class to modernize its navy and defend its coasts."

Speaking to "Formica" magazine, Moroccan military affairs expert Khaled Chiat explained Rabat's moves and the reasons that might lead him to complete the contract to purchase "Frame" frigates manufactured by Fincantieri for the manufacture of yachts and ships.

The Moroccan press had recently revealed a strong interest on the part of Rabat in this weapon, as the Moroccan media website "Maghars" states that Rabat "plans to strengthen its navy with new units of the new generation of combat frigates, this time may come from Italian factories."

 

Balance

"There is talk of ongoing negotiations between Rabat and the Fincantieri group to build two multi-mission frigates," the magazine reported.

It believes that the reason behind seeking to acquire this type of frigate is "related to the recent crisis with Spain, which is pushing Morocco to strengthen its naval forces."

The magazine said that "the military expert and lecturer at Mohammed I University in Oujda, Chiat, is convinced of this interpretation, and his answer to the magazine's question about the reason for Morocco's focus on this product was that the latter "is a country with coastlines extending for more than 3500 km, which makes its economy, security and stability linked by sea.”

He continued, "This is what makes strengthening its civilian and military naval fleet a priority in its national policy, especially at the level of strategic security, as some of its lands are still occupied by a neighboring force, and it has been found that all the peaceful solutions that have been adopted so far have not led to a solution."

"This does not mean that force and war are the alternatives, but a certain balance can be achieved by building an equal naval power. Morocco is also exposed to other threats, including the possibility of exploiting its maritime resources and the lack of agreement on defining the exclusive economic zone," he added.

Therefore, Chiat believes that "the FRAME, a high-tech frigate with the ability to intervene, represents a suitable option for Morocco's strategic goals, because it also contributes to achieving other goals, such as strengthening Italian-Moroccan cooperation and strengthening the Rabat, Rome and Paris axis."

He continued, "I think that the possibilities of cooperation with Italy are very wide, and the possibilities available for this cooperation have not been fully exploited until now, especially since Italy is the axis of the Mediterranean."

 

Defensive Strategies

On the threats that the kingdom will have to face in the future, Chiat replied that "Morocco is a country that does not seek war, but rather desires peace, and all its strategies are defensive, but it does not want to be prey to anyone and does not allow any of its neighbors to violate its rights during his quest to avoid military conflict by all means.

He added, "In this way, he can easily resolve many outstanding disputes, as he is determined to avoid military conflicts, and often uses restraint, and the best evidence of this is what is happening on the southeastern border with Algeria, where the Polisario Front mobilized to attack Moroccan territory for months without to achieve results on the ground.

Chiat stressed that "there is no intention on the part of Morocco to use force against any party that respects its territorial integrity, but in the face of potential threats that may come via land or sea, Morocco must be ready to respond."

Therefore, strengthening coastal defense "is essential in countering the hegemonic tendencies of some neighbours, and strengthening capabilities at this level will contribute to maintaining peace in the region."

With regard to other challenges that Morocco can face by benefiting from this type of technology and means, Chiat stressed that "there are challenges that Morocco can tackle alone and appropriately, but there are others related to regional security, such as the issue of migration, terrorism and cross-border crime that need important means and cooperation."

He concluded, "These phenomena have a great impact on Morocco and Italy, and in addition to the need for security and military cooperation, the two countries are also called to explore new investment and development opportunities, especially because of the great capacity of our country to absorb foreign investments in all sectors."