IAI is in advanced talks to sell LORA missiles to Morocco, Calcalist reports. See what is confirmed, what is not, and Israel's share of Morocco's arms imports.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's state-owned aerospace and defense company, is in advanced talks to sell LORA ballistic missiles to Morocco, the Israeli business daily Calcalist reported on October 8, 2026. Calcalist's defense sources call the negotiations serious and far along. The deal's value is not yet known, and Morocco World News reported on October 12 that no final contract or delivery schedule had been publicly confirmed.
Israel already supplies 24% of Morocco's arms imports, second only to the United States, according to SIPRI data for 2021 to 2025. SIPRI is the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. A LORA sale would add a long-range ballistic missile to a Moroccan arsenal that already includes Israeli rocket launchers and air defense.
What is the LORA missile IAI wants to sell Morocco?
LORA, short for Long-Range Artillery, is an IAI surface-to-surface ballistic missile designed to strike land and sea targets. The defense intelligence publisher Janes lists the naval version at up to 430 kilometers with a 600 kilogram warhead, while Calcalist puts LORA's range at about 500 kilometers. Janes also reports that a truck-mounted version serves in Azerbaijan's army.
The German Navy announced on September 2, 2026 that it had test-fired two Naval LORA missiles overnight in the North Atlantic, and IAI said both hit their targets. Germany's navy chief, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, said the range exceeds anything the navy has known. Calcalist reports that the German Navy is interested in acquiring the system.
Why is Morocco buying more Israeli weapons?
Morocco is the largest arms importer in Africa, and SIPRI says its long-running tensions with Algeria drive purchases. SIPRI reported on March 9, 2026 that Morocco's arms imports rose 12% between 2016-20 and 2021-25, while Algeria's fell 78%. SIPRI cautions that Algeria is often secretive about its deals, so its figure may be low.
| Supplier | Share of Morocco's arms imports, 2021-25 |
|---|---|
| United States | 60% |
| Israel | 24% |
| France | 10% |
Morocco World News reported the supplier shares above from SIPRI's March 2026 release. Calcalist ties the arms race to Algeria's buildup with Russian and Chinese weapons and to Algeria's support for the Polisario Front, which opposes Morocco in the dispute over Western Sahara.
What has Israel already sold Morocco?
Israel has sold Morocco rocket launchers and an air defense system, and Calcalist cites estimates that Israeli defense exports to Morocco have passed $2 billion since 2020. The table shows the main systems and how each was reported.
| System | Israeli maker | Status as reported |
|---|---|---|
| PULS rocket launchers and precision rockets | Elbit Systems | Acquired, per Calcalist |
| Barak MX air defense | IAI | Acquired, per Calcalist, and Morocco World News reports a $500 million deal signed in February 2022 |
| Ofek 13 spy satellites | IAI | IAI announced a $1 billion, five-year deal with an unnamed customer in July 2024, and foreign media identify it as Morocco's, per Globes and Calcalist |
| SPYDER air defense | Rafael | Deployment reported earlier this year by Moroccan media, per Calcalist |
| LORA ballistic missile | IAI | Advanced talks, no contract announced |
Calcalist also reports that facilities for assembling Israeli-designed drones have been set up in Morocco. Olam's earlier coverage details the Israel-Morocco defense corridor, IAI's Morocco contracts and the Benslimane drone plant.
The pattern extends beyond North Africa. Rafael said on June 28, 2026 that Romania chose SPYDER, and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in May 2026 that Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to the UAE and personnel to operate them during the Iran war.
What changed in Israel-Morocco ties this autumn?
Israel and Morocco agreed in September to upgrade their missions to embassies, and Israel opened its first national pavilion at the Marrakech Air Show in October, according to Al Jazeera's AFP report. The upgrade followed a meeting of the two foreign ministers in New York.
Israel's Defense Ministry said the pavilion was its first official participation in a Moroccan defense show since the Abraham Accords. The show ran October 7 to 10 at the Royal Moroccan Air Force base in Marrakech. The ministry said eight Israeli defense companies exhibited, and IAI, Elbit Systems and Rafael exhibited alongside its pavilion. Calcalist adds that IAI showed LORA there and that the missile is at the center of the talks.
What is still unconfirmed about the LORA talks?
The contract value, the delivery schedule and any pairing with Moroccan launchers are all unconfirmed. Calcalist says the deal's value is not yet known. Morocco World News reports that Globes raised the possibility in mid-September of using LORA with Morocco's American HIMARS launchers, and describes that as speculative.
Calcalist says a LORA sale would expand Morocco's long-range precision-strike capability, and Israel is already Morocco's second-largest arms supplier. Until IAI or Rabat announces terms, readers should treat this as advanced talks, not a signed deal.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
