A Moroccan company has managed to manufacture the first model of a “helicopter” unmanned aircraft, which has a great ability to work in the field of agriculture, cartographic surveying, guarding and other fields of a secret nature.
In a precedent of its kind, the company last week, after obtaining a license from the Moroccan authorities, embarked on the first flight trials of its new product; And that was via a flight at Tit Melil Airport, in the outskirts of Casablanca, in the presence of Moroccan officials and experts in the field of aviation.
Young Osama Benmir, head of the Vitol Aero company that manufactured the plane, said that this product is 100% Moroccan, and it took about five months to complete, pointing out that the team working on this plane consists of Moroccan and foreign experts in the field of aerospace industry, who benefited from Experience of a group of French in the field of aviation.
He pointed out that what distinguishes the Moroccan plane is its availability on a lidar sensor and 3D technology, and it uses aviation fuel (kerosene) unlike other drones that operate on electricity, in addition to its ability to fly for two hours in one flight, and its payload reaches about 20 kilograms.
Osama Benmir, in a statement to Hespress, stated that his team is using the latest technologies and technologies currently being used in the field of drones manufacturing, noting that his company is negotiating with the Moroccan authorities to market its planes in Morocco as a first step before opening up to other countries, especially African markets.
The startup aspires to conclude agreements with public institutions and workers in the Kingdom in order to make the new multi-specialty “drone” product contribute to border control, sensitive industrial and agricultural sites, and high-quality photo and video capture.
Some urban agencies in the Casablanca region have already started using drones, within the framework of the aerial survey project for the first time, and the goal is to inventory streets, alleys and facades, and establish specialized geographical gates.
The Moroccan authorities had previously announced that the import of remote-controlled, motorized drones must be subject to a prior import license, in accordance with legal requirements regarding foreign trade.
A joint communiqué issued by the Ministry of the Interior and the Delegated Ministry in charge of Foreign Trade and the Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes confirmed that “these measures were taken in order to address security risks, and harm the property and private life associated with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles,” adding: “The devices that are used for drones will be confiscated.” Importing them without a license, and imposing penalties stipulated in the laws and legislation in force.
The Moroccan authorities stress the procedures for obtaining a license to exploit drones, but they allow some departments, companies or public bodies to be licensed, at their request, and for purely professional purposes, such as producing films or shows, to import these devices, provided that each use of them is subject to a special license from the The local authority.