The Royal Moroccan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الملكية; ber, Adwas ujenna ageldan; french: Forces Royales Air) is the

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

of the

Moroccan Armed Forces The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (, ) are the military forces of the Kingdom of Morocco. They consist of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Royal Gendarmerie, and the Royal Guard. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces are large, expensive and well ...

History

The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the Sherifian Royal Aviation (). Its modern installations and bases were inherited from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(

Meknes Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

in tandem with the United States,

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

Kenitra Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou River, Sebou river, has a popul ...

Ben Guerir Ben Guerir ( ar, بن ڭرير, ber, ⴱⴻⵏ ⴳⵔⵉⵔ, Ben Grir) is a university town and military town that serves as the capital of Rehamna Province in central Morocco, in the Marrakesh-Safi region. it hosts Mohammed VI Polytechnic Univer ...

, Boulhault, Nouasseur, and Sidi Slimane), and later

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

(

Laayoune Laâyoune ( , also , ) or El Aaiún ( , ; Hassaniya Arabic: , romanized: ; ber, ⵍⵄⵢⵓⵏ, Leɛyun; ar, label= Literary Arabic, العيون, al-ʿUyūn/el-ʿUyūn, lit=The Springs) is the largest city of the disputed territory of We ...

). In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft were deployed in several of these bases, including nuclear bombers from the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

. The first aircraft of this newly formed air force were 16

Morane-Saulnier Alcyon The Morane-Saulnier Alcyon (en: Kingfisher) is a two or three-seat basic training monoplane designed and built in France by Morane-Saulnier. Design and development Designed as a basic trainer for the French military the prototype MS.730 first f ...

s, five

Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard The Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard is a 1950s French six-seat utility monoplane designed by Max Holste to meet a French Army requirement. Design and development Following the end of the Second World War, Avions Max Holste designed and built a ...

transport aircraft, one

Aérospatiale Alouette II The Aérospatiale Alouette II (, " lark"; company designations SE 313 and SA 318) is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine ...

, and one Bell H-13 Sioux. In 1961, it obtained 12

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 ...

fighters, two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI trainers and either two or four Ilyushin Il-28 bombers from the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. Eight

Fouga Magister Fouga (also known as Air Fouga) was a French manufacturing company established by Gaston Fouga at Béziers during 1920. Originally specialising in the repair of railway rolling stock, the firm eventually became most noted for the aircraft it p ...

training aircraft were also received from France. On 1 February 1964, the Sherifian Royal Aviation changed its name to Royal Air Force (). Since the 1990s, it has been known as the . The political rift with the Soviet Union pushed Morocco to seek a new ally in the United States, acquiring from the latter six

Northrop F-5 The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...

combat aircraft (4 single-seat F-5A and 2 two-seat F-5B) and another 20 F-5A and four F-5B in 1966. Around 1962, 10

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

and six Fairchild C-119G transport aircraft were acquired. At that time, the helicopter fleet was composed of six Aerospatiale Alouette IIs and four

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...

s. 12

North American T-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air force ...

s were used for pilot training; no less than eight T-6Gs and 56 SNJ-4s had been delivered by France, but most of them were in a very poor condition, and written off soon after their delivery. 15 Harvard Mk 4s were also delivered in 1962. Starting in 1968, Morocco acquired 60 AB205, 25 AB206, two AB212, and nine CH-47C helicopters from Italy. Deliveries lasted until 1977. The next modernization of the Moroccan Air Force took place just before the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

conflict. The first 25

Mirage F1 The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family. During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would ...

CH fighters were purchased in 1975, together with 38 Aerospatiale Puma helicopters. Six C-130Hs were bought in 1973, and deliveries started in 1974. Modernization of

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and the ...

with improved technology and the purchase of 24 Alpha Jet E would later be undertaken by the RMAF; another modernization of the fleet of

Dassault Mirage F1 The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family. During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would ...

was achieved in 1996 and 1997. During the 90s there were plans for purchasing Mirage 2000 or

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

fighter aircraft, however due to unavailable funding they were not realized. By 2011 the Royal Moroccan Air Force started to modernize its ageing fleet by buying F-16s.

Operations

Sand War

The RMAF participated in the Moroccan-Algerian border conflict in 1963 known as

Sand War The Sand War or the Sands War () was a border conflict between Algeria and Morocco in October 1963. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to portions of Algeria's Tindouf and Béchar provinces. The Sand War led to heighten ...

. Its Fairchild C-119s and

Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

s were used to resupply troops,

North American T-6 The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...

s for reconnaissance, and

s for ground attack.

MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...

s were only used sporadically, mostly due to their short range.

Yom Kippur War

During the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...

, a squadron of Royal Moroccan Air Force

As joined the Egyptian 69 Squadron at Tanta on 19 October 1973. At least 14

s and also around a dozen of F-5As were deployed. The F-5As arrived after a lengthy trip, via

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

, accompanied by

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...

transports that carried spare parts, weapons, and equipment. Moroccans started flying tasked with

CAP A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

missions over the

Nile Delta The Nile Delta ( ar, دلتا النيل, or simply , is the delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Po ...

. In January 1974 two F-5As armed with AIM-9Bs and 20mm cannons intercepted a pair of

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...

Mirage IIICJs on a

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

mission. The Israelis turned away once the F-5As were detected, dragging both RMAF fighters behind them. Concerned about a possible ambush by Israeli F-4E Phantom IIs, the

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all milit ...

ground control ordered both Moroccan fighters to return, replacing them with two EAF MiG-21MFs.

Western Sahara War

At the beginning of the

Western Sahara War The Western Sahara War ( ar, حرب الصحراء الغربية, french: Guerre du Sahara occidental, es, Guerra del Sahara Occidental) was an armed struggle between the Sahrawi indigenous Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 (an ...

s (based at

) and

s (based at Dakhla) were used for ground support. Later on, the F-5s went into action, to strike POLISARIO targets. In 1980, construction of the Sahara defensive walls began, consisting of several types of obstacles for

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

and armoured vehicles, such as mine fields and

barbed wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is t ...

. Radars and other electronic sensors were used to detect infiltration attempts, all backed by Quick Intervention Units (Détachements d'Intervention Rapide) able to move to and quickly reinforce attacked outposts along the wall. It was also decided to use Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle helicopters with

HOT Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand **Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

missiles to engage the POLISARIO's armoured vehicles and

technicals Technicals may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle often used in civil conflict * TECHNICALS, a clothing brand owned by Blacks Leisure Group See also * Technical (disambiguation) * Cambridge Technicals Cambridge Tech ...

from outside the range of light

anti-aircraft guns Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

. Apart from the ground radars of the Wall, two

C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

Hercules equipped with SLARs were also used for the detection of enemy units. However, the first portion of the wall, completed in 1982, protected only the area considered as “useful” for Morocco's political and economic interests, that is, the capital

, the religious center

Smara Smara ( ar, السمارة ''as-Samāra'', also romanized ''Semara''; es, Esmara) is a city in the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara, with a population of 57,035 recorded in the 2014 Moroccan census. It is served by Smara Airport and Sm ...

, and the

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

fields of

Bou Craa Bou Craa (also transliterated as ''Bo Craa'', ''Bu Craa'' or ''Boukra'') ( ar, بوكراع, Berber: ⴱⵓⴽⵔⴰⵄ, es, Bucraa) is a town in Western Sahara, south-east of the main city of El Aaiún. It is inhabited almost exclusively by emp ...

. After the loss of nine F-5As during combat operations against the POLISARIO, 16 F-5Es and 4 F-5Fs were acquired in October 1979. The main problem that faced Moroccan fighter-bombers in Western Sahara was their insufficient range over the vast battlefield of the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

desert. To address it, in 1982, a Boeing 707-138B was fitted with Beech hose units at the wingtips for refueling. Two Lockheed KC-130Hs were also delivered, and all of the F-5Es were modified with aerial refueling probes. In December 1977, the Royal Moroccan Air Force started receiving its first Mirage F1CHs. Even though the Mirage F1CH was designed as an

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Vehicles * Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft * Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car * ...

, it was used almost exclusively for ground attack in the war against the POLISARIO. The last of a total of 30 Mirage F1CHs were received in December 1979. Additionally, 20 Mirage F1EHs (including six equipped with in-flight refuelling probes) were delivered between December 1979 and July 1982. Together with the F-5E/Fs, the FRA decided to buy a total of 24 OV-10As from the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. However, only the first six aircraft were delivered. They were mostly used in a

maritime patrol {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to ac ...

role and for reconnaissance due to their inefficiency in combat. Moroccan SA 330 Puma (cropped)

Intervention against ISIL

In late 2014 Morocco sent

s into combat against

ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. This was the first deployment for the jets since Morocco purchased them in 2011.

Modernization in the 21st century

The Royal Moroccan Air Force started a progressive modernization program of its ageing fleet and their technical and operational capacities.

F-5 upgrades

Improvements to F-5A/B were realised with the installation of "Tiger II" avionics on, probably, 8 F-5A and 2 F-5B. A contract was stipulated with the French company

SOGERMA Stelia Aerospace (stylized STELIA Aerospace) is an aerospace company headquartered in Toulouse, France. It specializes in the design and manufacture of aerostructures, pilot seats and premium class passenger seats, mainly for the commercial ...

at Bordeaux (France), all aircraft were received by 1998. From 2001 to 2004 the RMAF's F-5E/F received a full refurbishment and upgrade from SOGERMA. The upgraded improved the performance of the "Tiger II" to the level of the "Tiger III". The work carried up included: * new FIAR Grifo F/X Plus improved radar (similar in performance to the AN/APG-69) * Elettronica ELT/555 active Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pods. *

HOTAS HOTAS, an acronym of hands on throttle-and-stick, is the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle lever and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit. By adopting such an arrangement, pilots are capable of performing all vit ...

(Hands On Throttle And Stick) * New EWPS/-100 (DM/A-106) RWR * Cockpit Layout with new: **

heads-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...

** Weapons Delivery and Navigation System MFD/WDNS ** Multifunction displays The F-5E/F TIII acquired the capability to use new weapon systems such as Beyond Visual Range missiles and precise-guided weapons. RADA ACE ground debriefing station, a Simulator and AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING targeting pods have also been purchased.

Mirage F1 MF2000 ASTRAC

In 2005, the RMAF started the 350 million euro MF2000

upgrade program, which has overhauled 27

s (F1CH, F1EH and F1EH-200) to the level of

Mirage 2000-5 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''A ...

to improve survivability for the MF2000, that included : * The replacement of the old

Thomson-CSF Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market. Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Houst ...

Cyrano IV radar by

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...

RC400 (RDY-3). * 4% thrust boost and longer life through a new compressor module for the Snecma Atar 9K50 engines. * New cockpit Layout with two multifuction LCDs, a

Head-Up Display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...

with UFCP (Up Front Control Panel), two mini-LCDs (to RWR and artificial horizon) and full

controls. * Inertial-aided GPS Navigator Sagem Sigma 95. * CN2H-AA Mk II Night-Vision Goggles. * Modern zero-zero ejection seat. * About 100 million euro worth of

MICA Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...

missiles * New electronics: ** New weapons management system. ** Advanced Thales Radar-warning system. ** New Data Link. ** Improved communications-system. ** Two Dynamic task computer-integrated with a

MIL-STD-1553B MIL-STD-1553 is a military standard published by the United States Department of Defense that defines the mechanical, electrical, and functional characteristics of a serial data bus. It was originally designed as an avionic data bus for use with ...

bus. The upgrade enabled the use of more advanced equipment as: * Corail flare launchers. * Phimat chaff dispensers. * Electronic protection-Pod PAJ-FA ECM. * Thales Damocles Pod. * Capability to carry Advanced Air-to-air missiles, Air-to-ground missiles and guided-bombs : ** Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM)

GPS/INS GPS/INS is the use of GPS satellite signals to correct or calibrate a solution from an inertial navigation system (INS). The method is applicable for any GNSS/INS system. Overview GPS/INS method The GPS gives an absolute drift-free position v ...

and

+ IIR guided bombs. ** AM39 Exocet Air-to-sea missiles. **

Paveway Paveway is a series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs). ''Pave'' or PAVE is sometimes used as an acronym for ''precision avionics vectoring equipment''; literally, electronics for controlling the speed and direction of aircraft. Laser guidance is ...

Laser-guided bomb A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly p ...

s. This upgrade was developed by ASTRAC (Association Sagem

pour la Rénovation d'Avions de Combat).

T-6C Texan and F-16C/D Block 52+

In 2007, Morocco formally requested 24 T-6C Texan trainer aircraft, with very secondary light attack capability. In 2008, a $2.4 billion order was placed for 24 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft as well as associated equipment and services, with: * F100-PW-229 Enhanced Engine Package (EEP) turbofan engines * AN/APG-68V9 radars *

conformal fuel tank Conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) are additional fuel tanks fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft that extend the endurance of the aircraft. Advantages CFTs have a reduced aerodynamic penalty compared to external drop tanks, and do not signif ...

s (CFTs).

Major General Ahmed Boutaleb inspector of the Moroccan Air Force and Brigadier General Robert Ferrell

F-16 fleet improvements

Later, from 2008 to 2012 the RMAF purchased advanced equipment for its F-16 fleet: * Advanced countermeasures electronic systems (ACES). * Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS). * AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles. * AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems. * AN/ALQ-187 Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suites (ASPIS II). * AN/ALR-93 radar warning receivers. * DB-110 airborne reconnaissance pods. * AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs). Advanced armament was also acquired: * AIM-120 C7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to Air Missiles (AMRAAM). * AIM-9M-9 and AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short range air-to-air missiles. * AGM-88B/C HARM Missiles. * AGM-65D/G/H MAVERICK Missiles. * AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles. *

and

Laser-guided Laser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key ide ...

Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. *

GBU-24 Paveway III GBU-24 Paveway III or simply GBU-24 is a family of laser-guided bombs, a sub-group of the larger Raytheon Paveway III family of weapons. The Paveway guidance package consists of a seeker package attached to the nose of the weapon, and a wing kit ...

GBU-10 Paveway II The GBU-10 Paveway II is an American Paveway-series laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 84 general-purpose bomb, but with laser seeker and wings for guidance. Introduced into service c. 1976. Used by USAF, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Royal Austra ...

and

GBU-12 Paveway II The GBU-12 Paveway II is an American aerial laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 82 500-pound (227 kg) general-purpose bomb, but with the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. A member of the Paveway series of weapons, ...

laser-guidance and fin kits to convert 2,000 pound bombs. Lockheed C-130H Hercules (L-382), Morocco - Air Force AN0832501

Possible F-35 acquisition

Morocco is reported to be interested of purchase

F-35 The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...

s to counter its arch-rival Algeria which is reported to have placed order for 14 Su-57s. Israeli defence intelligence firm, JaFaj announced in January that Israeli Minister of Defence,

Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( he, בִּנְיָמִין "בֵּנִי" גַּנְץ, Transliterated: ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general serving as the minister of Defense since 2020 and deputy prime minister of Israel si ...

said that his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Loudiyi, the Moroccan Minister of Defence, is asking for Israel’s help to convince the Biden administration to authorize the sale of F-35 to Morocco.

Other purchases and upgrades

In 2008, 4

C-27J Spartan The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27A Spartan in ...

tactical transport aircraft were also purchased from

Finmeccanica Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica, is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the eighth ...

subsidiary

Alenia Aeronautica Alenia Aeronautica was an Italian aerospace company. Its subsidiaries included Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali. Alenia Aeronautica was also the part-owner of ATR, a joint venture with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS ...

for 130 million euro, and the advanced trainer and CAS/

COIN A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

aircraft Alpha Jet E fleet was upgraded to the "E+ standard".

General Atomics General Atomics is an American energy and defense corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, specializing in research and technology development. This includes physics research in support of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion energy. The ...

received in 2010 export licenses to sell an unarmed export version of the

Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, U.A.E. and Morocco. Six aerial firefighting

Bombardier 415 The Canadair CL-415 (Super Scooper, later Bombardier 415) and the De Havilland Canada DHC-515 are a series of amphibious aircraft built originally by Canadair and subsequently by Bombardier and Viking Air, and De Havilland Canada. The CL-415 ...

Superscooper were also purchased in 2011. The modernization and upgrade of the former US Air Force base in

Ben Guerir Air Base Ben Guerir Air Base is a Royal Moroccan Air Force base in the Marraksh-Safi region, located about north of Marrakech, near the town of Ben Guerir. It previously served as a United States Air Force base and Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) ...

to support its

F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

aircraft is also important. In March 2013, it has been reported that the RMAF have purchased 3

EADS Harfang The EADS Harfang, formerly known as ''Système intérimaire de drone MALE'' (SIDM, "Interim medium-altitude, long-endurance drone system") is a unmanned aerial vehicle used by the French Air Force, supplementing the RQ-5 Hunter. Development ...

MALE UAVs decommissioned by France, but these would not have been delivered until 2020. In 2015, 3 refurbished CH-47D were received from the US, to be added to the 9 CH-47C delivered in 1979 and 1982 (originally 12 were acquired). In 2019, Government of Morocco requested purchase of 25 F-16 block 72 and was approved by The U.S. Department of State. A $2.8 billion contract was signed in 2020. First shipment of 12 new Vipers will be received in 2021. It has been proposed to upgrade the existing F-16's to the Viper standard. 24 Apache helicopters were also ordered in 2020.

Accidents

In January 2011, a Royal Moroccan Air Force F-5 crashed while trying to land at the airport of the military base near

and a pilot was killed in the crash. In July 2011, a Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130H crash killed 78 people after the aircraft, en route from Dakhla, a city in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Kenitra Air Base Kenitra Air Base (Arabic: �لقنيطرةمطار) is a military airport in Kenitra, a city in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region in Morocco. It is also known as the Third Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force. History K ...

, crashed from a planned stop-over at Guelmim Air Base. The 6 crew, 60 members of the army and 12 civilians, mainly partners travelling with their partners, perished in the accident. In November 2012, nine soldiers were killed and two seriously injured in a SA330 Puma crash in the same region of

Guelmim Guelmim (in ber, Agʷelmim, ⴰⴳⵯⵍⵎⵉⵎ, in ar, ڭلميم, also spelled in European sources: Glaimim, Goulimine or Guelmin), is a city in southern Morocco, often called ''Gateway to the Desert''. It is the capital of the Guelmim-Oued N ...

during a combined forces exercise. On May 11, 2015, a Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 which was taking part in air campaign in Yemen crashed due to technical faults. On 16 August 2015, a Mirage F1 was lost after a bird strike. On 21 January 2019, a Mirage F1 has crashed in Taounat area due to a technical problem. The pilot ejected before the crash.

Ranks

;Officers * Général Suprême des Armées et Commandant en Chef: His Majesty the King of Morocco. ;Enlisted

Airbases

Salé Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran ...

BAFRA Nº 7 (Air Base) *

BAFRA Nº 6 (Air Base) *

BAFRA Nº 3 (Air Base) *

Laayoun Laâyoune ( , also , ) or El Aaiún ( , ; Hassaniya Arabic: , romanized: ; ber, ⵍⵄⵢⵓⵏ, Leɛyun; ar, label=Literary Arabic, العيون, al-ʿUyūn/el-ʿUyūn, lit=The Springs) is the largest city of the disputed territory of Wes ...

BAFRA Nº 4 (Air Base) * Sidi Slimane BAFRA Nº 2 (Air Base) *

BAFRA N°1 (Air Base) *

Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...

BAFRA N°0 (Air Bases Headquarter) *

BEFRA (Academy Air Base & Air Base) *

North Area Headquarters *

Agadir Agadir ( ar, أݣادير, ʾagādīr; shi, ⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔ) is a major city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean, and south ...

South Area Headquarters *

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

Aeronaval Base *

Khouribga Khouribga ( ber, ⵅⵯⵔⵉⴱⴳⴰ, xʷribga; ar, خريبڭة, ḵurībga, ) is the capital of Khouribga Province in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region, Morocco. With a population of 196,196 (2014 census), Khouribga owes its growth to the pho ...

Annexe AeroBase

Aircraft

Current inventory

References

Citations

Bibliography

* *

External links

Order of Battle
at Scramble.nl
Moroccan air force fleet photos
- airliners.net

- skywar.ru {{Authority control

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...