Morocco expands drone strike capabilities with DS-16 and P-31 precision weapons from UAE’s EDGE Group
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The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has signed a formal contract with the UAE defense conglomerate Edge Group to procure and integrate precision-guided munitions across its unmanned combat aerial vehicle fleet. Concluded during the Marrakech Air Show 2026, the agreement introduces advanced strike capabilities to modernize Morocco’s military hardware. The integration targets enhanced operational effectiveness and tactical precision for strategic defense and surveillance missions.
The DS-16 is a precision-guided glide bomb carrying a 12 kg warhead with a maximum range of 15 km, while the P-31 is a heavier precision-guided bomb based on the Mk 81, designed to strike targets at ranges of up to 10 km when launched from drones. (Picture source: Edge)
On October 9, 2026, Morocco signed a contract with the UAE’s Edge Group to purchase the Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) guided-glide weapon and Thunder P-31 precision-guided bomb to equip the combat drones of the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF). Concluded during the Marrakech Air Show 2026, the agreement includes ammunition deliveries, aircraft modifications, weapon control software, integration, and long-term support. Manufactured by Edge subsidiary Halcon, the DS-16 weighs 23 kg, carries a 12 kg warhead, and has a maximum range of 15 km, while the Thunder P-31 converts a Mk 81 bomb into a guided weapon weighing 140 kg with a 10 km range when released from unmanned aircraft. Both employ GNSS-assisted inertial navigation and optional semi-active laser guidance, with an accuracy of 10 m and 3 m circular error probable (CEP), respectively. The contract concerns a Moroccan fleet including at least 19 Bayraktar TB2s, Chinese Wing Loongs, and heavier Bayraktar Akincis, but its value, ammunition quantities, recipient aircraft, and delivery schedule remain undisclosed.
The Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) measures 1,000 mm in length, 129 mm in diameter, and 323 mm across its widest section, with its warhead representing 52.2% of its total mass. It supports impact and height-of-burst detonation, while its 15 km range corresponds to a release at 9,144 m altitude at 220 knots calibrated airspeed, equivalent to 407 km/h. Logically, a Moroccan drone releasing the weapon at a lower altitude or speed cannot be assumed to achieve that distance. Halcon’s dedicated Quad Rack carries four DS-16 weapons and weighs 45 kg, producing a 137 kg assembly measuring 1,880 × 435 × 200 mm and incorporating MIL-STD-1760 electrical connections. The Thunder P-31, for its part, weighs 140 kg, including a 110 kg bomb-body component, and has a maximum specified release altitude of 12,192 m. Its range increases from 10 km when released by unmanned aircraft to 20 km from faster, higher-altitude aircraft, with a separate 27 km maximum under different release conditions. The complete P-31 is 6.09 times heavier than the DS-16, consequently providing different options for each sortie.
Related topic: UAE defense group EDGE launches EDGE Europe in France to anchor global expansion
Morocco’s combat drone acquisitions began expanding in 2020 with three or four Wing Loong I UCAVs reportedly transferred from the UAE, each offering a 200 kg payload and 20-hour endurance. In 2021, Morocco ordered 13 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones for a reported $70 million, followed by six more, bringing identifiable acquisitions to 19. The TB2 has a 700 kg maximum takeoff weight, four weapon stations, a 150 kg payload, and an endurance exceeding 20 hours. Morocco subsequently acquired the Wing Loong II, which has a 4,200 kg maximum takeoff weight, 480 kg payload, and 32-hour endurance, although its Moroccan fleet size remains unknown. The heavier Bayraktar Akinci followed under a 2023 procurement arrangement, with deliveries beginning in February 2025 and aircraft present at Ben Guerir’s Sixth Air Base by June 2026. One inventory identifies three ordered aircraft. With a 6,000 kg maximum takeoff weight, 1,500 kg payload, and endurance exceeding 24 hours, the Akinci carries ten times the TB2’s nominal payload and 3.125 times that of Wing Loong II.
Edge’s earlier cooperation with Baykar could provide a starting point for integrating the Emirati weapons into Moroccan drones. On January 17, 2024, the companies agreed to integrate the DS-16 onto the TB2, and the weapon has subsequently been integrated for UAE-operated drones. A May 2026 agreement extended their cooperation to Al Tariq guided bombs for the Akinci, but Thunder-series integration onto a combat drone has not previously been confirmed. Four DS-16 weapons weigh 92 kg, or 61.3% of the TB2’s 150 kg payload, increasing to 137 kg and 91.3% with the Quad Rack. One P-31 would consume 93.3% of that payload, compared with 9.3% aboard the Akinci, making the heavier aircraft a more plausible candidate. China’s Wing Loong I and II can accommodate 140 kg within their aggregate payload limits, but their individual hardpoint capacities and software compatibility remain unverified. Aircraft-specific carriage, separation, and release certification will determine which configurations Morocco can actually operate.
Morocco’s other unmanned aircraft include three reported IAI Herons, four Elbit Hermes 900s, and three second-hand EADS Harfang aircraft, primarily intended for long-endurance reconnaissance. Their inclusion in the Emirati weapons integration program has not been established. Morocco has also acquired BlueBird WanderB and ThunderB surveillance drones and pursued the SpyX loitering munition, which has a 2.5 kg warhead, 50 km operational reach, and 90 to 120 minutes of endurance. Unlike a DS-16 released by a reusable aircraft, the SpyX is itself expended during an attack. Following Moroccan testing in 2024, technicians received training in Israel in November 2025 for a proposed SpyX manufacturing operation at Benslimane, near Casablanca, although production quantities remain unknown. An October 2026 agreement with Harmattan AI separately envisages Moroccan manufacturing of autonomous drones intended for missions reaching 2,000 km, a future capability rather than an established operational inventory.
Morocco is also expanding the industrial infrastructure needed to manufacture and maintain military equipment. Law 10-20 established a framework for private defense production, while designated industrial areas cover 75 hectares at Nouaceur and 600 hectares at Sidi Yahya, totalling 675 hectares. Seven industrial land agreements were announced during Marrakech Air Show 2026. On October 9, Edge signed a separate memorandum concerning potential Moroccan production of Caracal firearms and Powertech aircraft engines. Powertech’s P145i is a six-cylinder, 1.8-litre, 145 hp two-stroke engine with a 5 kW generator and a 1,000-hour overhaul interval; its turbojet portfolio includes 400 N, 1,000 N, 1,500 N, and 5,500 N designs. Morocco’s aerospace industry already comprises 160 companies, 25,000 employees, and $3 billion in annual exports, with a $5 billion objective within three years. However, the memorandum specifies neither a selected engine nor an Edge factory, investment amount, or local DS-16/P-31 production arrangement.
Edge’s broader African expansion includes Angola’s €1 billion naval modernization contract signed in February 2023, involving three 71 m BR71 MK II Combattante corvettes and six HT-100 Naval unmanned helicopters. The first corvette, the NRA Ekuikui II, was launched at Cherbourg on March 4, 2026, with deliveries of the three ships scheduled for October 2026, April 2027, and October 2027. The six unmanned helicopters completed factory acceptance trials in Switzerland between August 24 and 28, 2026, with two allocated to each corvette for maritime surveillance. Edge also signed a letter of intent concerning Angolan border security, while a potential $300 million Nigerian defense equipment agreement remained under negotiation in July 2026. In Morocco, the group is considering local manufacturing, joint development, and incorporating Moroccan suppliers into its international supply chain serving more than 91 countries.
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Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has signed a formal contract with the UAE defense conglomerate Edge Group to procure and integrate precision-guided munitions across its unmanned combat aerial vehicle fleet. Concluded during the Marrakech Air Show 2026, the agreement introduces advanced strike capabilities to modernize Morocco’s military hardware. The integration targets enhanced operational effectiveness and tactical precision for strategic defense and surveillance missions.
The DS-16 is a precision-guided glide bomb carrying a 12 kg warhead with a maximum range of 15 km, while the P-31 is a heavier precision-guided bomb based on the Mk 81, designed to strike targets at ranges of up to 10 km when launched from drones. (Picture source: Edge)
On October 9, 2026, Morocco signed a contract with the UAE’s Edge Group to purchase the Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) guided-glide weapon and Thunder P-31 precision-guided bomb to equip the combat drones of the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF). Concluded during the Marrakech Air Show 2026, the agreement includes ammunition deliveries, aircraft modifications, weapon control software, integration, and long-term support. Manufactured by Edge subsidiary Halcon, the DS-16 weighs 23 kg, carries a 12 kg warhead, and has a maximum range of 15 km, while the Thunder P-31 converts a Mk 81 bomb into a guided weapon weighing 140 kg with a 10 km range when released from unmanned aircraft. Both employ GNSS-assisted inertial navigation and optional semi-active laser guidance, with an accuracy of 10 m and 3 m circular error probable (CEP), respectively. The contract concerns a Moroccan fleet including at least 19 Bayraktar TB2s, Chinese Wing Loongs, and heavier Bayraktar Akincis, but its value, ammunition quantities, recipient aircraft, and delivery schedule remain undisclosed.
The Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) measures 1,000 mm in length, 129 mm in diameter, and 323 mm across its widest section, with its warhead representing 52.2% of its total mass. It supports impact and height-of-burst detonation, while its 15 km range corresponds to a release at 9,144 m altitude at 220 knots calibrated airspeed, equivalent to 407 km/h. Logically, a Moroccan drone releasing the weapon at a lower altitude or speed cannot be assumed to achieve that distance. Halcon’s dedicated Quad Rack carries four DS-16 weapons and weighs 45 kg, producing a 137 kg assembly measuring 1,880 × 435 × 200 mm and incorporating MIL-STD-1760 electrical connections. The Thunder P-31, for its part, weighs 140 kg, including a 110 kg bomb-body component, and has a maximum specified release altitude of 12,192 m. Its range increases from 10 km when released by unmanned aircraft to 20 km from faster, higher-altitude aircraft, with a separate 27 km maximum under different release conditions. The complete P-31 is 6.09 times heavier than the DS-16, consequently providing different options for each sortie.
Morocco’s combat drone acquisitions began expanding in 2020 with three or four Wing Loong I UCAVs reportedly transferred from the UAE, each offering a 200 kg payload and 20-hour endurance. In 2021, Morocco ordered 13 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones for a reported $70 million, followed by six more, bringing identifiable acquisitions to 19. The TB2 has a 700 kg maximum takeoff weight, four weapon stations, a 150 kg payload, and an endurance exceeding 20 hours. Morocco subsequently acquired the Wing Loong II, which has a 4,200 kg maximum takeoff weight, 480 kg payload, and 32-hour endurance, although its Moroccan fleet size remains unknown. The heavier Bayraktar Akinci followed under a 2023 procurement arrangement, with deliveries beginning in February 2025 and aircraft present at Ben Guerir’s Sixth Air Base by June 2026. One inventory identifies three ordered aircraft. With a 6,000 kg maximum takeoff weight, 1,500 kg payload, and endurance exceeding 24 hours, the Akinci carries ten times the TB2’s nominal payload and 3.125 times that of Wing Loong II.
Edge’s earlier cooperation with Baykar could provide a starting point for integrating the Emirati weapons into Moroccan drones. On January 17, 2024, the companies agreed to integrate the DS-16 onto the TB2, and the weapon has subsequently been integrated for UAE-operated drones. A May 2026 agreement extended their cooperation to Al Tariq guided bombs for the Akinci, but Thunder-series integration onto a combat drone has not previously been confirmed. Four DS-16 weapons weigh 92 kg, or 61.3% of the TB2’s 150 kg payload, increasing to 137 kg and 91.3% with the Quad Rack. One P-31 would consume 93.3% of that payload, compared with 9.3% aboard the Akinci, making the heavier aircraft a more plausible candidate. China’s Wing Loong I and II can accommodate 140 kg within their aggregate payload limits, but their individual hardpoint capacities and software compatibility remain unverified. Aircraft-specific carriage, separation, and release certification will determine which configurations Morocco can actually operate.
Morocco’s other unmanned aircraft include three reported IAI Herons, four Elbit Hermes 900s, and three second-hand EADS Harfang aircraft, primarily intended for long-endurance reconnaissance. Their inclusion in the Emirati weapons integration program has not been established. Morocco has also acquired BlueBird WanderB and ThunderB surveillance drones and pursued the SpyX loitering munition, which has a 2.5 kg warhead, 50 km operational reach, and 90 to 120 minutes of endurance. Unlike a DS-16 released by a reusable aircraft, the SpyX is itself expended during an attack. Following Moroccan testing in 2024, technicians received training in Israel in November 2025 for a proposed SpyX manufacturing operation at Benslimane, near Casablanca, although production quantities remain unknown. An October 2026 agreement with Harmattan AI separately envisages Moroccan manufacturing of autonomous drones intended for missions reaching 2,000 km, a future capability rather than an established operational inventory.
Morocco is also expanding the industrial infrastructure needed to manufacture and maintain military equipment. Law 10-20 established a framework for private defense production, while designated industrial areas cover 75 hectares at Nouaceur and 600 hectares at Sidi Yahya, totalling 675 hectares. Seven industrial land agreements were announced during Marrakech Air Show 2026. On October 9, Edge signed a separate memorandum concerning potential Moroccan production of Caracal firearms and Powertech aircraft engines. Powertech’s P145i is a six-cylinder, 1.8-litre, 145 hp two-stroke engine with a 5 kW generator and a 1,000-hour overhaul interval; its turbojet portfolio includes 400 N, 1,000 N, 1,500 N, and 5,500 N designs. Morocco’s aerospace industry already comprises 160 companies, 25,000 employees, and $3 billion in annual exports, with a $5 billion objective within three years. However, the memorandum specifies neither a selected engine nor an Edge factory, investment amount, or local DS-16/P-31 production arrangement.
Edge’s broader African expansion includes Angola’s €1 billion naval modernization contract signed in February 2023, involving three 71 m BR71 MK II Combattante corvettes and six HT-100 Naval unmanned helicopters. The first corvette, the NRA Ekuikui II, was launched at Cherbourg on March 4, 2026, with deliveries of the three ships scheduled for October 2026, April 2027, and October 2027. The six unmanned helicopters completed factory acceptance trials in Switzerland between August 24 and 28, 2026, with two allocated to each corvette for maritime surveillance. Edge also signed a letter of intent concerning Angolan border security, while a potential $300 million Nigerian defense equipment agreement remained under negotiation in July 2026. In Morocco, the group is considering local manufacturing, joint development, and incorporating Moroccan suppliers into its international supply chain serving more than 91 countries.
Explore More Defense News
• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
