Modern warfare can no longer be imagined without drones, and recent international conflicts have shown that traditional defence systems are becoming obsolete. That is why Morocco has decided to act quickly.
The North African country has just signed a strategic agreement with French tech firm Harmattan AI to protect its airspace. However, this move goes beyond a simple weapons purchase; the main goal is for Rabat to achieve full technological independence.
The plan includes setting up factories on Moroccan soil, opening a dedicated military development centre, and training local researchers through direct partnerships with universities.
Interception technology to protect Moroccan skies
The initial deal focuses on low-altitude aerial interception to counter drone attacks, which in military terms corresponds to very short-range air defence (VSHORAD). Harmattan AI will supply two key systems operating under a single tactical control platform:
- Gobi system: Designed specifically for hunting small drones. This ultra-fast platform requires no preparation time after threat detection and can neutralise a target in under a minute, reaching speeds of 350 kilometres per hour.
- Gobi Tempest: For heavier, more complex threats. This autonomous interceptor works in all weather conditions, carries an 800-gram explosive charge, and has an operational range of 12 kilometres.
How Harmattan applies AI to combat
Beyond the interceptors, Harmattan AI’s true technological core is an interconnected ecosystem of software and hardware designed to operate autonomously, even if the enemy cuts communications or GPS signals.
The brain of this network is Kalahari, a central command-and-control system that uses artificial intelligence to fuse real-time data from satellites, radars, and drones. This software automatically classifies threats and suggests the best response strategy, drastically reducing the workload on soldiers.
The eyes of the structure are the Sahara system, an advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor mounted on reconnaissance drones. Its AI processes images locally to detect millimetre-level changes on the ground—such as camouflaged vehicles, trenches, or mines—with the material advantage of seeing through clouds, fog, or sandstorms.
Finally, the fist of this ecosystem is Barkhan, a range of precision attack drones or loitering munitions. Their onboard AI enables autonomous terminal guidance; if the enemy deploys electronic warfare and interrupts the radio signal, the drone uses computer vision to continue tracking the target and lock on for impact by itself, while also communicating with other drones to coordinate swarm attacks intelligently.
The human factor: Although the entire ecosystem relies on artificial intelligence for coordination, data processing, and autonomous flight, the architecture strictly maintains a human operator in the loop (“human-in-the-loop”) for the final firing decision, thus avoiding collateral damage.
Meteoric company expansion
While Harmattan AI’s name may not yet be widely known, its trajectory in the sector has been meteoric. Founded in April 2024, the company raised $200 million in a funding round led by aerospace giant Dassault Aviation, pushing its valuation beyond $1.4 billion.
Its expansion into North Africa has a strong local identity, as the owner and co-founder of the tech firm is Moroccan-born entrepreneur Mouad M’Ghari.
The deployment of its technology in the kingdom follows the signing of major contracts with the French and British armed forces (notably through the UK Ministry of Defence). With this step, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces not only secure their borders against the proliferation of drones in the region but also lay the cornerstone for their own defence technology industry.
