Morocco Builds the 2000-km “IRIFI – ⵉⵔⵉⴼⵉ” Combat Drone Locally

The opening session of the Marrakech Air Show, held at a Royal Moroccan Air Force base, was marked by an unexpected announcement: the National Defense Administration and French defense technology company Harmattan AI signed a letter of intent to develop and manufacture autonomous deep-strike systems known as “IRIFI – ⵉⵔⵉⴼⵉ” in Morocco. The name is Amazigh and refers to the wind that brings heat and dryness (it also means thirst).

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defense Administration, and General of the Army Corps Mohamed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and commander of the Southern Zone. Also attending were the company’s founder, Mouad M’Ghari, who is of Moroccan origin, and its managing director in Morocco, Amir Benmahjoub.

IRIFI is a highly advanced drone designed to carry out precise deep strikes at distances of up to 2,000 kilometers. It operates with a high degree of autonomy: it carries out its mission once targets have been identified and confirmed by a human operator. Its guidance system does not rely solely on satellite positioning (GNSS) and also includes precision optical guidance.

With this project, the company aims to offer lower-cost, more flexible alternatives to expensive conventional missiles, while ensuring they can operate in complex environments subject to electronic jamming.

The agreement builds on the strategic partnership between the two parties, which rests on three pillars: setting up fully local manufacturing capacity near Casablanca, creating an advanced research and development (R&D) center for artificial intelligence applied to defense, and strengthening cooperation with Moroccan universities and higher-education institutions to train a new generation of engineers and national specialists in these highly specialized fields.

Arabic version | French version