Which country in Africa possesses the second-largest number of UAVs?

On May 31st, Morocco World News, citing a new report from the African Military Research Organization, stated that the country now has the second-highest number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Africa, after Egypt.

Morocco is one of the countries investing heavily in high-end UAVs, including those designed for medium-altitude, long-flight operations and those capable of operating at high altitudes. (Source: Morocco World News)

Specifically, Morocco possesses 279 military UAVs, while Egypt leads with 313 and Algeria ranks third with 128 UAVs.

The report also stated that Morocco is one of the countries investing heavily in high-end UAVs, including those operating at medium altitudes, with long flight times, and those operating at high altitudes.

These devices are primarily used for strategic reconnaissance, border surveillance, intelligence gathering, and long-range precision strike missions.

In recent years, Morocco has acquired several modern UAV models such as the Bayraktar TB2 from Türkiye, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian from the United States, and a number of attack and reconnaissance UAVs manufactured by Israel.

Morocco's rapid expansion of its UAV forces is taking place amidst increasing military competition with Algeria.

While Morocco focuses heavily on UAVs, Algeria has invested significantly in manned military aircraft such as the Su-30MKA, Su-34, and Su-57.

This indicates that the two countries are pursuing different approaches to military modernization, but both aim to enhance their combat capabilities and deterrence in the North African region.

Previously, in March 2026, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sweden) published a report stating that Morocco's arms imports increased by 12% between 2021 and 2025 compared to the period of 2016-2020. The country also rose to 28th place globally in arms imports, contributing 1% of total global arms imports.

Regarding the origin of weapons, the United States is the largest supplier of weapons to Morocco during the 2021-2025 period, accounting for 60% of the market share. Israel and France follow, with market shares of 24% and 10% respectively.

Meanwhile, Algeria, the African nation that was once the continent's largest arms buyer, has sharply reduced its arms imports over the past five years, with a drop of 78%, falling to 33rd place globally.

The largest arms supplier to Algeria remains Russia, accounting for 39% of the market share. China ranks second with 27%, and Germany third with 18%.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) believes that prolonged diplomatic tensions are one of the main reasons driving neighboring Morocco and Algeria to increase their arms purchases in recent years.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nuoc-nao-so-huu-so-luong-uav-dung-thu-hai-chau-phi-400301.html