Morocco’s plan to upgrade its air force

Morocco’s military modernisation drive has been accelerating, and its air force is next in line, according to pan-African outlet WebDefence on April 10th. 

The push comes against the backdrop of a decades-long cold war with Algeria, whose air force is a serious benchmark. It operates more than 60 Su-30MKAs, around 40 MiG-29s, and several dozen Su-24s. Orders have also been placed for Su-34s, Su-35s, and the stealth Su-57, of which a handful were spotted this year. 

Morocco’s fleet, by comparison, still leans heavily on older platforms: the F-5, Mirage F1, and Alpha Jet. Its most significant recent acquisition remains the F-16 programme: 24 Block 52s ordered in 2008, followed by a 2019 deal to upgrade those aircraft to F-16V standard and add 25 Block 72s, at a total cost of $3.8 billion.

Morocco’s defence budget has since climbed sharply. At $15.3 billion in 2026, a 17.7% jump year-on-year, Defenceweb reports. In the meantime, the air force has been filled out with Gulfstream G550s in an ISR configuration and a varied drone fleet spanning Israeli, Chinese, Turkish and other platforms.

The question of what comes next for combat aviation has generated plenty of speculation. An $18 billion deal for up to 32 F-35s has been discussed, and was reportedly cleared by Israel, though it hasn’t moved forward. French options have also circulated, including second-hand Mirage 2000-9s from Abu Dhabi, or Rafale F4s direct from France. Neither has materialised. Other candidates floated include the Su-35, the JF-17, and South Korea’s FA-50s. As of now, no new combat aircraft order has been placed since 2019.

Air defence, at least, has been thoroughly addressed. Morocco has built a layered network drawing on Chinese, French, Israeli and American systems, covering long-range platforms like the HQ-9B, Barak 8 and Patriot PAC-3, mid-range systems including SPYDER and MICA VL, and shorter-range options such as Stinger and Mistral. The helicopter fleet has grown too. Thirty-six AH-64E Apaches were ordered in 2019, and ten H225M transport helicopters followed in November 2025, with the first deliveries arriving in early 2026.

Morocco has also been working to reduce its dependence on imports by building up domestic defence industry capacity. Lockheed Martin and Moroccan firm Eaton-Souriau Tangiers set up a joint MRO venture in 2022 for F-16 and C-130H maintenance. Embraer signed an aerospace cooperation agreement in 2024, eyeing Morocco as a potential operator and partial assembly site for the C-390 tactical airlifter. Baykar opened an MRO hub in Morocco in 2025, with recruitment for technicians and test pilots beginning in early 2026. And in 2024, Moroccan firm Aerodrive Engineering Services completed the maiden flight of the Atlas Istar, the country’s first domestically developed drone.

To pull in further investment, Rabat has created dedicated industrial zones for defence and exempted defence firms from taxes under the 2025 budget. Future arms deals are expected to carry significant offset and technology transfer requirements. The broader goal being a Moroccan defence sector that builds, not just buys.

DefenceWeb, Maghrebi,org.