Morocco has signed a strategic partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for putting up a final assembly line (FAL) for producing Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 in Casablanca, which would be the first defence manufacturing plant put by an Indian company outside the country.

Co-developed by the TASL and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), approximately 100 WhAP will be produced at the FAL, with a potential for exports to other countries in Africa, said sources in the Tata Sons’ defence arm. The deal between the Kingdom of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces and TASL was inked late last week in the North African country.

TASL has formed a 100 per cent subsidiary -- “Tata Advanced Systems Maroc” -- for the FAL which is expected to be operational over the next 12 months to deliver the “contracted quantity” of the specialised vehicle systems to the Morocco. The TASL, however, did not specify the total number of WhAP it will be producing for the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces in its official statement.

While the initial contracted quantity is entirely to meet the needs of Royal Moroccan Army, this facility will be a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Advanced Systems and become an export hub to meet the requirements of other countries especially in Africa, the TASL stated. 

“This will be Morocco’s first large defence manufacturing plant, and the first defence manufacturing plant by an Indian defence OEM situated outside India. The TASL platform 8x8, which has been developed jointly by Tata Advanced Systems and Tata Motors with DRDO, is itself a successful example of Indian private sector and government partnership. This will generate production in India while also starting final assembly of a defence platform in Morocco,” the TASL statement read.

TASL platform

Significant content of the TASL platform 8x8 will be exported from India, while also meeting a commitment for local employment, value addition and support in Morocco.

The production facility in Casablanca will be developed over 20,000 square meter of land which has been identified.

During the signing of the agreement, Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the Administration National Defence, said, “This partnership with Tata Advanced Systems marks a new era in the development of our defence industry. It is a strategic step that will not only contribute to our national self-reliance but also our ability to scale up our defence industry quickly and reliably.”

“We are committed to creating a robust industrial ecosystem that drives economic growth and delivers tangible benefits to our investors and industry partners similar to the successful model of the automobile industry,” the Minister observed.

Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, TASL, said, “TASL is extremely proud to sign this partnership with the government of the Kingdom of Morocco. This contract is of significant size and of strategic importance for us. This not only enables TASL to help initiate Morocco’s defence ecosystem but also acts as a launch point for TASL into rest of Africa for select defence systems.”

“We would like to acknowledge the progressive and industry friendly policies of the Kingdom of Morocco that made it viable for TASL to sign this landmark production and supply agreement,” Singh stressed.

WhAP, which TASL has supplied to the armed forces in India also, incorporates state-of-the-art critical technologies like a high power, integrated power pack with automatic transmission, with modularity and scalability which can be easily customised to cater to various missions and operating conditions of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces. 

TASL stated it will work closely with the Moroccan government to develop a robust ecosystem which would include engaging with the local supply chain partners and vendors, training and skill development of the workforce and building related capabilities, and to maintain the systems in-country.

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