Members of the Royal Moroccan Navy visited the San Fernando shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, to monitor the progress of construction works related to a patrol boat, ordered in January 2021 from Navantia. The military delegation was welcomed by the president of the Spanish public company, reports media in Cadiz. The construction of the patrol boat began in July 2023. The contract represents one million hours of work and will provide employment to 250 employees at the shipyard for more than three years. This order is part of the new dynamic in diplomatic ties between Morocco and Spain, following Pedro Sanchez's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, enacted on March 14, 2022. In October of the same year, the Moroccan government has given the green light to a loan of 95 million euros concluded on August 31, 2022 with Banco Santander S.A, related to the financing of the commercial contract signed between the National Defense Administration and the Spanish ship manufacturer Navantia S.A. The patrol boat ordered by the Royal Moroccan Navy measures 89 meters long and can accommodate an average crew of 46 people. The original design makes room for a 76-millimeter cannon and a missile launch system, as well as modern sensors and radars and a deck for a helicopter.
