Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (Forces Royales Air) was formed in 1956 as the Sherifian Royal Aviation, flew Soviet jets for a few years before turning to France and the United States, lost dozens of aircraft over Western Sahara between 1975 and 1991, and in 2026 is rebuilding around the F-16 Block 72, the AH-64E Apache and Turkish and Israeli drones while the Western Sahara conflict it has flown over for half a century resumed in 2020.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force story: Soviet MiGs in 1961, half a century over Western Sahara and the F-16 Block 72
1956–1964: the Sherifian Royal Aviation and the Sand War
Morocco’s air arm was formed on 14 May 1956, weeks after independence, as the Sherifian Royal Aviation (Aviation Royale Chérifienne); Wikipedia also gives 19 November 1956 as its anniversary date. Its first real combat equipment came from an unexpected quarter: in 1961 the Soviet Union supplied 12 MiG-17 fighters, two MiG-15UTI trainers and, depending on the account, two or four Il-28 bombers, alongside 24 French Fouga Magister jet trainers. When the border war with Algeria began in late September 1963, Wikipedia’s air force article lists C-119s, C-47s and T-6s flying reconnaissance and MS.733 Alcyons on ground attack, but the Sand War itself was fought mainly on the ground: the only air attack its Wikipedia article records was by an Algerian aircraft at Oued Zeknou. The fighting stopped with the Bamako Accord of 30 October 1963, and on 1 February 1964 the service became the Royal Air Force, Forces Royales Air.
1964–1975: the American turn and a squadron at Tanta
The MiGs did not last. From 1966 to 1974 the United States delivered 22 F-5As, two F-5Bs and two RF-5As, which formed the 1st Fighter Squadron; Iran gave two more F-5As in 1974 and Jordan sold six in 1976. The F-5 made Morocco one of the few Arab air forces to fly American fighters in the 1970s, and it went to war with them far from home: during the Yom Kippur War a squadron of Moroccan F-5As joined the Egyptian 69 Squadron at Tanta on 19 October 1973, and Wikipedia states that they intercepted Israeli Mirage IIICJs in January 1974. No Moroccan loss or kill from that deployment was found in the sources checked. In December 1975, as Spain left Western Sahara, Morocco ordered 25 Mirage F1CH interceptors from France, the start of a dual French and American fleet that it still flies.
1975–1991: the air war over Western Sahara
Spain’s withdrawal in 1975 and 1976 left Western Sahara contested: Morocco regards it as its southern provinces, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and demands self-determination; the UN lists it as a non-self-governing territory. The air force flew the war from start to finish. Wikipedia’s Western Sahara War article states that Moroccan jets attacked refugee camps at Umm Dreiga in early 1976 with napalm and white phosphorus. Mirage F1s went into combat in October 1979 with bombs, rockets and cannon, and the Polisario’s missiles made it expensive. Wikipedia’s Mirage F1 article, citing the Helion history by Cooper, Grandolini and Fontanellaz, counts 12 F1s shot down, with four pilots killed and five captured; its F-5 article says 15 F-5s were confirmed lost, while its air force article gives nine F-5As. An Alpha Jet was shot down in December 1985. A ceasefire monitored by MINURSO took effect on 6 September 1991.
1991–2019: Tiger III, MF2000 and the first F-16s
Peace on the berm let the air force rebuild. Saudi-financed F-5Es and F-5Fs had arrived from 1981 to 1983, and 12 more F-5Es followed from 1990; from 2001 to 2004 Italian radar and new cockpits turned 24 of them into the F-5E Tiger III. From 2005 France helped overhaul 27 Mirage F1s to the MF2000 standard with a new radar and MICA missiles. The decisive step came on 27 December 2007, when Washington announced the sale of 24 F-16C/Ds; they arrived between July 2011 and August 2012, together with 24 T-6C trainers. The same years brought the service’s worst accident: on 26 July 2011 a C-130H crashed near Guelmim, killing 80 people according to Wikipedia’s article on the crash (its air force article gives 78). The F-16s went to war within three years, against the Islamic State in late 2014 and in Yemen from March 2015.
2019–2026: Block 72, Apaches and drones
On 25 March 2019 the United States approved two packages: 25 new F-16 Block 72s for an estimated 3.787 billion dollars and an upgrade of the 23 existing Block 52+ jets to the F-16V standard for 985.2 million dollars. A 2021 report expected the new jets in 2024 and named Sidi Slimane and Ben Guerir as the bases to be rebuilt for them, but no official delivery of a Block 72 had been announced in the sources checked by October 2026; on 31 August 2026 the US Air Force did contract CAE for two Block 72 simulators at Sidi Slimane. The helicopter fleet moved faster: the first six of 24 AH-64E Apaches were received at the 1st Air Base in Salé on 5 March 2025, and a second batch followed in April 2026. Alongside them came drones: three IAI Herons bought in 2014, Turkish Bayraktar TB2s from 2021 and, by press accounts, the larger Akıncı.
Western Sahara since 2020: a war mostly fought by drones, and little of it on the record
On 13 November 2020 Moroccan forces moved into the Guerguerat buffer zone and the Polisario declared the 1991 ceasefire over. The fighting since has been small in scale and poorly documented. Moroccan media such as Hespress, citing unnamed sources, report drone strikes east of the berm, for example one on 15 May 2025 near Mahbes that they say killed a senior Polisario commander, but the Royal Armed Forces do not publish statements on such strikes, and independent casualty totals were not found in the sources reachable for this page. Human Rights Watch recorded a Polisario rocket attack on Smara in May 2024 that fell short, and notes that Morocco has refused the UN human rights office access to the territory since 2015. Diplomatically Rabat has gained ground: the United States recognised its sovereignty claim on 10 December 2020, and Security Council resolution 2797 of 31 October 2025 called Moroccan autonomy a possible basis for talks, which the Polisario says implies no recognition of Moroccan sovereignty.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force in numbers
خدمة
- الاسم الأصلي
- القوات الملكية الجوية / Forces Royales AirArabic and French as the state news agency MAP writes them. A Tamazight (Tifinagh) form used by the armed forces was not found in the sources checked
- تأسست
- 14 May 1956As the Sherifian Royal Aviation (Aviation Royale Chérifienne); renamed Royal Air Force on 1 February 1964. Wikipedia’s infobox gives 19 November 1956 as the anniversary
- جزء من
- Royal Armed ForcesThe King is Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces
- المقر الرئيسي
- Not officially publishedWikipedia lists Oujda as the air bases headquarters (BAFRA No. 0); no official confirmation was found
- Inspector of the Royal Air Force
- Maj. Gen. Mohammed GadihGénéral de Division Aérienne; named by MAP in 2024 and 2025 (also spelled Kadih)
- فريق العرض
- Marche VerteAerobatic team created on the order of King Hassan II in 1984; flies CAP 232s
قوة
- الأفراد
- About 13,000Wikipedia’s figure, citing the IISS Military Balance; not published by Morocco
- طائرات حربية
-
- F-16C/D Block 52+ — 23
- Mirage F1 (MF2000) — about 25
- F-5E/F Tiger III — about 22
Wikipedia’s inventory, citing FlightGlobal and the IISS. 25 F-16 Block 72 are on order; none was publicly reported delivered in the sources checked
- طائرات الهليكوبتر الهجومية
-
- AH-64E Apache — first six received March 2025, second batch April 2026; 24 ordered
- SA 342 Gazelle — about 19
The size of the second Apache batch was not published
- النقل والمهام الخاصة
-
- C-130H / KC-130H Hercules — about 16
- C-27J Spartan — 4
- CN-235 — 5
- CL-415 water bombers — 8
The CL-415 figure is MAP’s; the others are Wikipedia’s
- مدربين
-
- T-6C Texan II — 24
- Alpha Jet — 19–24
- DA42 — number not published
- CAP 232 — 7–8 in team displays
Wikipedia’s air force article gives 19 Alpha Jets, its Alpha Jet article 24
- الطائرات بدون طيار
-
- Bayraktar TB2 — 13–19 reported
- IAI Heron — 3 (bought 2014)
- Bayraktar Akıncı — reported, number not published
Morocco does not publish drone holdings; all figures are press or Wikipedia figures
بنية تحتية
- Air bases named in official reporting
-
- 1st Air Base, Salé — Apache reception 2025
- 3rd Air Base, Kenitra — Canadair water bombers
- Sidi Slimane Air Base — F-16 Block 72 simulators
- Ben Guerir — named for F-16 upgrade works
- Marrakech — Royal Air Force schools base
Base numbering differs between sources: Wikipedia calls Ben Guerir the 1st base, MAP calls Salé the 1st; one press report calls Sidi Slimane the 5th and Ben Guerir the 6th
- F-16 base works
- Over 4.7 billion dollars reported (2021)For Sidi Slimane and Ben Guerir, reported by Morocco World News citing Defensa; not an official figure
- مكافحة الحرائق
- 8 CL-415 at KenitraPart of the national four-level wildfire system; the General Support Air Base overhauls them in Morocco
- التزود بالوقود جواً
- KC-130HMorocco fitted a Boeing 707-138B with hose units in 1982 for the Western Sahara war
How the Royal Moroccan Air Force is organised
One service of the Royal Armed Forces, run by an Inspector of the Royal Air Force under the King as Supreme Commander, and one that publishes no order of battle. Three fighter types make up the front line — about 23 F-16C/Ds, 25 Mirage F1s upgraded to the MF2000 standard and 22 F-5E/F Tiger IIIs, in Wikipedia’s figures — with 25 F-16 Block 72s on order but none publicly delivered by October 2026. Wikipedia places the air bases headquarters at Oujda, which no official source confirms, and the sources number the bases differently.
Royal Moroccan Air Force
One of the services of the Royal Armed Forces, whose Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff is King Mohammed VI. The air force is run by its Inspector, Maj Gen (Général de Division Aérienne) Mohammed Gadih, so named by MAP in July 2024 and March 2025 (spelled Kadih in a November 2025 report); the date of his appointment was not found. Wikipedia places the air bases headquarters at Oujda; no official source confirms it.
Fighter fleet
Three fighter types in Wikipedia’s figures, citing FlightGlobal and the IISS: 23 F-16C/D Block 52+ delivered in 2011–2012, about 25 Mirage F1s upgraded to the MF2000 standard and about 22 F-5E/F Tiger IIIs. 25 F-16 Block 72s were approved in 2019, but none had been publicly delivered by October 2026. Morocco does not publish which squadrons fly them or from where.
النقل ومكافحة الحرائق
About 16 C-130H and KC-130H Hercules, four C-27J Spartans and five CN-235s according to Wikipedia. MAP reported in August 2026 that eight CL-415 water bombers operate from the 3rd Air Base at Kénitra, overhauled in Morocco by the General Support Air Base, as the core of the national wildfire response.
Attack and utility helicopters
The first six of 24 AH-64E Apaches were received at the 1st Air Base in Salé on 5 March 2025, according to MAP, and a second batch of unpublished size followed in April 2026; Morocco World News had placed the first delivery at Khouribga. Wikipedia lists ten CH-47D Chinooks, 24 Pumas, about 19 Gazelles, 27 AB 205A and AB 212s and six H135Ms.
École Royale de l’Air
The Royal Air School at the Marrakech schools base trains the service’s officer pilots and engineers, according to MAP. The training fleet includes 24 T-6C Texan IIs bought with the F-16s, 19 to 24 Alpha Jets and DA42s; a DA42 crashed at Benslimane on 21 November 2024, killing an instructor colonel and a trainee officer. The Marche Verte aerobatic team, created in 1984, flies CAP 232s.
الطائرات بدون طيار
Morocco does not publish its drone holdings: three IAI Herons bought in 2014, 13 to 19 Bayraktar TB2s from 2021 by press and Wikipedia figures, and Akıncıs by press accounts. Hespress, citing the Spanish site Defensa, places the TB2s and Akıncıs at Ben Guerir; the armed forces have not confirmed it, nor any strike east of the Western Sahara berm.
What the Royal Moroccan Air Force flies today
كل نوع متاح برسوم، ويرتبط بصفحته في كتاب الوحوش إن وجدت. تشير الأرقام إلى الطائرات المسجلة، وليس الطائرات المتاحة في يوم معين.
| يكتب | دور | في الخدمة | منذ | الوحدات | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ Fighting Falconفي الخدمة | مقاتل متعدد المهام | 23 | 2011 | 24 delivered 2011–2012; 23 in service after the loss over Yemen in 2015. Wikipedia counts 8 two-seat D models | ||
| Dassault Mirage F1CH/EH/EH-200 (MF2000)في الخدمة | مقاتل متعدد المهام | 25 | 1978 | About 25 per Wikipedia; 50 delivered from 1978 (30 F1CH, 14 F1EH, 6 F1EH-200 with refuelling probes); 27 upgraded to MF2000 | ||
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II (F-5E Tiger III)في الخدمة | مقاتل | 22 | 1981 | About 22 per Wikipedia, 3 of them F-5F trainers; 16 F-5E and 4 F-5F delivered 1981–1983 plus 12 F-5E from 1990 | ||
| داسو/دورنييه ألفا جيت إيفي الخدمة | مدرب متقدم وهجوم خفيف | 1979 | 19–24: 24 delivered 1979–1981; Wikipedia’s air force article lists 19 in service, its Alpha Jet article 24 | |||
| Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIفي الخدمة | مدرب أساسي | 24 | 2011 | 24 sold in October 2009; all in service by January 2012 | ||
| دايموند DA42في الخدمة | مدرب متعدد المحركات | Number not published | ||||
| Mudry/CAP Aviation CAP 232في الخدمة | Aerobatic (Marche Verte team) | MAP reports displays by seven and by eight CAP 232s | ||||
| Lockheed C-130H / KC-130H Herculesفي الخدمة | ناقلة تكتيكية وناقلة وقود | 16 | About 16 per Wikipedia, including 2 KC-130H tankers and 1 electronic-intelligence aircraft | |||
| ألينيا سي-27 جيه سبارتانفي الخدمة | النقل التكتيكي | 4 | Wikipedia figure | |||
| CASA/IPTN CN-235في الخدمة | النقل الخفيف | 5 | Wikipedia figure | |||
| Bombardier (Canadair) CL-415في الخدمة | طائرة إطفاء | 8 | MAP, August 2026 | |||
| بوينغ AH-64E أباتشي غارديانفي الخدمة | مروحية هجومية | 2025 | First six received on 5 March 2025; a second batch of unpublished size in April 2026; 24 ordered with an option on 12 more | |||
| Boeing CH-47D Chinookفي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر لنقل الأحمال الثقيلة | 10 | Wikipedia figure; former US Army aircraft | |||
| شركة إيروسباسيال إس إيه 330 بومافي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر متعددة الأغراض | 24 | Wikipedia figure | |||
| Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelleفي الخدمة | Scout and anti-armour helicopter | 19 | Wikipedia figure | |||
| Agusta-Bell AB 205A and AB 212في الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر متعددة الأغراض | 27 | 24 AB 205A and 3 AB 212 per Wikipedia | |||
| Airbus Helicopters H135M (EC635)في الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر خفيفة متعددة الأغراض | 6 | Wikipedia figure | |||
| بايكار بايراكتار TB2في الخدمة | Armed drone | 2021 | 13–19: Wikipedia’s air force article gives 13–20 with a citation-needed tag; its TB2 article says 19 ordered | |||
| Baykar Bayraktar Akıncıفي الخدمة | Heavy armed drone | Number not published | ||||
| IAI Heronفي الخدمة | طائرة استطلاع بدون طيار | 3 | 2014 | Three bought in 2014 |
عند الطلب
| يكتب | تم الطلب | التسليم الأول | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 72عند الطلب | 25 | Approved by the US government on 25 March 2019 at an estimated 3.787 billion dollars.
أكثرA 2021 press report expected deliveries in 2024; no delivery had been announced in the sources checked by October 2026. On 31 August 2026 the US Air Force contracted CAE for two Block 72 full-mission simulators at Sidi Slimane, due by 30 April 2029. |
||
| Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian (balance of order)عند الطلب | 2025 | 24 ordered with an option on 12 more; six received in March 2025 and a second batch of unpublished size in April 2026, so the number still to come is not known. |
Every type the Royal Moroccan Air Force has retired
9 types, from the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F to the Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and RF-5A. تمثل الأرقام القصوى عدد الطائرات التي تم استلامها على مدار فترة الخدمة بأكملها، وليس قوة الأسطول في أي تاريخ محدد.
| يكتب | دور | قمة | تم تقديمه | تم استبداله بـ | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and RF-5A | مقاتلة واستطلاع | 34 | 1966– | F-5E/F, Mirage F1 | 22 F-5A, 2 F-5B and 2 RF-5A from the US 1966–1974; 2 F-5A from Iran (1974) and 6 from Jordan (1976) | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F | مقاتل | 12 | 1961– | إف-5 إيه | 12 delivered in 1961 | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | مدرب نفاث | 2 | 1961– | Two delivered in 1961 | ||
| إليوشن Il-28 | قاذفة قنابل خفيفة | 1961– | Two or four delivered in 1961: English Wikipedia says two or four, French Wikipedia four | |||
| فوغا سي إم 170 ماجيستر | طائرة تدريب نفاثة وطائرة هجومية خفيفة | 24 | ألفا جيت | 24 per French Wikipedia | ||
| طائرة نورث أمريكان تي-6 تكسان | مدرب وهجوم خفيف | T-6C Texan II | Number not found | |||
| Morane-Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon | مدرب وهجوم خفيف | Number not found | ||||
| دوغلاس سي-47 وفيرتشايلد سي-119 | ينقل | سي-130 إتش | Numbers not found | |||
| Boeing 707-138B tanker | ناقلة النفط | 1 | 1982– | KC-130H | One converted in 1982 |
Where the Royal Moroccan Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases; no closed airfield is listed. Several were American in the 1950s: Ben Guerir and Sidi Slimane were Strategic Air Command bomber bases until 1963, and Kénitra, the former Port-Lyautey, was a US Naval Air Station from 1951. Morocco publishes no list of its bases, and the sources number them differently: MAP calls Salé the 1st Air Base, while Wikipedia gives the number to Ben Guerir. Laâyoune lies in Western Sahara, which the UN lists as a non-self-governing territory; Morocco asserts sovereignty and proposes autonomy, and the Polisario Front demands a referendum on self-determination. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Morocco and Western Sahara
One of the 11 bases above sits outside Morocco and Western Sahara, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas base.
| قاعدة | منظمة الطيران المدني الدولي (ICAO) | حالة | المدرج | الوحدات والطائرات |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben GuerirMarrakech-Safi | GMMG | نشيط | 18/364,182 m |
|
| BenslimaneCasablanca-Settat | GMMB | نشيط | 14/323,074 m | |
| GuelmimGuelmim-Oued Noun | GMAG | نشيط | 05/233,040 m | |
| KenitraRabat-Salé-Kénitra | GMMY | نشيط | 07/252,437 mأسمنت03/211,839 m | |
| KhouribgaBéni Mellal-Khénifra | نشيط | |||
| LaâyouneHassan I AirportWestern Sahara (administered by Morocco as the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region) | GMML | نشيط | 02/202,701 m04/222500 متر | |
| MarrakechBase École des Forces Royales AirMarrakech-Safi | GMMX | نشيط | 10/283100 متر |
|
| Meknes BassatineFès-Meknès | GMFM | نشيط | 09/272,820 m08/261957 مترًا | |
| OujdaRoyal Air Force air bases headquartersOriental | نشيط | |||
| SaléRabat–SaléRabat-Salé-Kénitra | GMME | نشيط | 03/213500 متر | |
| Sidi SlimaneRabat-Salé-Kénitra | GMSL | نشيط | 08/263,445 m |
|
لا توجد قاعدة جوية مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Who is stationed where in the Royal Moroccan Air Force
الوحدات الجوية حسب القاعدة، والوحدات الحالية أولاً. Morocco publishes no order of battle, so the only current Moroccan unit tied to a base in the sources is the École Royale de l’Air at Marrakech; what each other base hosts rests on MAP, the press or Wikipedia, and each entry says which. The Strategic Air Command units that flew from Ben Guerir and Sidi Slimane until 1963 are listed and marked as not Moroccan. Where the sources disagree on a base’s number, the entry gives both.
- 3926th Air Base Group (USAF)
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet (rotational), Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter (rotational)
- 5th Air Division (USAF)1954–1958
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet (rotational)
- 3906th Air Base Group (later Combat Support Group) (USAF)
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet, Convair B-36 Peacemaker, North American F-86D Sabre
- École Royale de l’Air (Royal Air School)ERA · Air academy · active
لا توجد وحدة مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Royal Moroccan Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
14 May: the air arm is formed as the Sherifian Royal Aviation (Aviation Royale Chérifienne), weeks after independence.
The Soviet Union delivers 12 MiG-17s, two MiG-15UTIs and two or four Il-28 bombers.
25 September–30 October: the Sand War with Algeria; transports, T-6s and Alcyons fly in support. The Bamako Accord ends the fighting.
1 February: renamed the Royal Air Force (Forces Royales Air).
The first of 22 F-5As, two F-5Bs and two RF-5As arrive from the United States (deliveries to 1974).
19 October: a Moroccan F-5A squadron joins the Egyptian 69 Squadron at Tanta during the Yom Kippur War.
December: 25 Mirage F1CH ordered from France; the Western Sahara war begins as Spain withdraws.
October: Mirage F1s fly their first combat missions against the Polisario. Alpha Jet deliveries begin (24 by 1981).
A Boeing 707-138B is converted into a tanker for the Western Sahara war.
The Marche Verte aerobatic team is created on the order of King Hassan II.
6 September: the UN-monitored ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario takes effect.
France helps upgrade 27 Mirage F1s to the MF2000 standard.
July: F-16C/D deliveries begin (24 by August 2012). 26 July: a C-130H crashes near Guelmim, killing 78–80.
10 May: Morocco says an F-16 on the Saudi-led coalition campaign is missing over Yemen; the Houthis claim to have shot it down.
25 March: the US approves 25 F-16 Block 72s and the F-16V upgrade. Morocco ends its part in the Yemen campaign.
13 November: Moroccan forces enter Guerguerat and the Polisario declares the ceasefire over.
5 March: the first six AH-64E Apaches are received at the 1st Air Base, Salé.
April: second Apache batch. 31 August: contract for two F-16 Block 72 simulators at Sidi Slimane.
Every war the Royal Moroccan Air Force has fought
الطلعات الجوية والخسائر حيثما يسمح السجل بذلك، وفراغ تام حيثما لا يسمح بذلك.
- The Sand War 1963 Reconnaissance, transport and some ground attack in support of the army
- The Yom Kippur War deployment to Egypt 1973–1974 An F-5A squadron reinforced the Egyptian Air Force
- The Western Sahara War 1975–1991 Close air support, interdiction and reconnaissance against the Polisario Front throughout the war; air refuelling from 1982
- Strikes against the Islamic State 2014 F-16s flew combat missions against ISIL from the United Arab Emirates
- التدخل الذي تقوده السعودية في اليمن 2015–2019 Six F-16s took part in the Saudi-led coalition air campaign
The Royal Moroccan Air Force display team
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Everything people ask about the Royal Moroccan Air Force
What is the Royal Moroccan Air Force called in Arabic and French?
Which fighter jets does the Royal Moroccan Air Force fly?
Has Morocco received the F-16 Block 72?
Is Morocco buying the F-35?
What happened to the Moroccan F-16 lost over Yemen?
How many aircraft did Morocco lose in the Western Sahara war?
Does Morocco use armed drones in Western Sahara?
What is the Marche Verte aerobatic team?
When did Morocco get Apache helicopters?
Who commands the Royal Moroccan Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Royal Moroccan Air Force flew
كل نوع له صفحة في كتاب الوحوش، في الخدمة أولاً، ثم حسب السنة التي غادر فيها الأسطول.
كل حقيقة، تم التحقق منها
- MAP: Apache Helicopter Delivery, Major Milestone in Strengthening Morocco-USA Strategic Partnership (5 March 2025)Six AH-64E received at the 1st Air Base, Sale; Berrid, Gadih, Langley present.
- MAP: Salé : Cérémonie de réception de six hélicoptères de combat Apache AH-64E (5 March 2025)First lot of six.
- Morocco World News: Morocco Receives First Batch of Apache AH-64E Helicopters (27 February 2025)24 plus option of 12; about 1.5 billion dollars; places delivery at the 7th Air Base, Khouribga.
- Morocco World News: Morocco Receives Second Batch of AH-64E Apache Helicopters (7 April 2026)Second batch, size not stated; cites Defense Arabia.
- MAP: UK: Morocco Partakes in Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) (20 July 2024)Maj. Gen. Mohammed Gadih, Inspector of the Royal Air Force; F-16C, F-16D and C-130H.
- MAP: Royal Air Force Training Plane Crashes within Benslimane Air Base (21 November 2024)DA42 crash, two officers killed; General Staff statement.
- MAP: Throne Day: Royal Armed Forces Organize Air Shows, Exhibition Parachute Jumps (28 July 2024)Marche Verte displays at M’diq and Martil.
- MAP: Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces Deploy Extensive Aerial Fleet in National Forest Fire Response (3 August 2026)8 CL-415 at the 3rd Air Base, Kenitra; General Support Air Base.
- MAP: Parution d’un nouveau numéro du magazine L’Espace marocain des Forces Royales Air (15 October 2025)The service’s own magazine; Royal Air School, 3rd Air Base, Marche Verte.
- MAP (Arabic): search results for the Royal Air ForceArabic spelling of the service name; 1st Air Base at Sale; Royal Air Force schools base at Marrakech.
- MAP (French): search results for Forces Royales AirFrench spelling Forces Royales Air.
- MAP (French): search results for GadihRank General de Division Aerienne, Inspecteur des Forces Royales Air.
- MAP (French): search results for patrouille Marche VerteTeam flies CAP 232s; displays by seven and eight aircraft.
- MAP: Dubaï Airshow 2025 : La patrouille de voltige Marche Verte fait sensation (November 2025)Team created on the order of Hassan II in 1984; mirror loop.
- MAP: Major Moroccan-American Military Maneuvers Conclude African Lion 2025 Exercise (24 May 2025)F-16 support and Puma casualty evacuation.
- Morocco World News: US Awards $42 Million Contract for F-16 Training Systems for Morocco (2 September 2026)CAE, 31 August 2026, two Block 72 simulators at Sidi Slimane to April 2029.
- Morocco World News: Morocco To Upgrade 2 Air Bases to Receive New F-16 Fleet (7 November 2021)Sidi Slimane and Ben Guerir; over 4.7 billion dollars (citing Defensa); delivery expected 2024.
- Hespress: Morocco, US near F-35 fighter jet deal in major military upgrade (23 October 2025)Citing Africa Intelligence.
- Hespress: Moroccan drones turn Polisario raids east of berm into battlefield trap (10 June 2026)Moroccan press account; no official military statement.
- Hespress: Moroccan drone strike kills senior Polisario commander near buffer zone (15 May 2025)Unnamed sources; strike near Mahbes.
- Human Rights Watch: World Report 2025, Morocco and Western SaharaPolisario rockets at Smara May 2024; no OHCHR access since 2015.
- Security Council Report: Western Sahara, April 2026 Monthly ForecastResolution 2797, vote and positions.
- Al Jazeera: UN Security Council supports Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara (31 October 2025)Positions of Morocco, the Polisario and Algeria.
- NASA Facts: Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites (December 2006)Ben Guerir designated a TAL site in July 1988, replacing Casablanca (used from January 1986); last used for STS-111 in June 2002; being closed after supporting 83 missions.
- Report: Morocco integrates Turkish drones into military service (Hespress English, 9 June 2026)Citing Defensa and its satellite imagery: Akinci drones, delivered early 2025, operating at the Sixth Air Base in Ben Guerir; first TB2s entered service at Ben Guerir in September 2021; more than 20 TB2s. No official Moroccan statement.
- MAP search: "3è BAFRA de Kénitra" (headline on military service intake)MAP headline naming the 3rd Royal Air Force base (3è BAFRA) at Kénitra as an intake centre for military service conscripts.
- Lancement de l’exercice African Lion 21 au Maroc, en Tunisie et au Sénégal (MAP, 7 June 2021)African Lion 2021 activity spread from the Kénitra air base in the north to Tan-Tan and the Ben Guerir Labouhi training complex; over 7,000 participants.
- Marrakech: À l’École Royale de l’Air, des femmes officiers et étudiantes célèbrent l’excellence (MAP, 10 March 2026)The ERA in Marrakech trains the Royal Air Force’s officer pilots and engineers, from licence to state engineer level.
- MAP search: École Royale de l’Air MarrakechHeadlines naming the École Royale de l’Air (ERA) de Marrakech and the Base École des Forces Royales Air à Marrakech; Hanae Zerouali, ERA graduate of 2006, instructor on the King Air 200 (MAP, 7 March 2026).
تم التحقق من الأرقام بتاريخ 2026-10-01. يتم إعادة إنشاء صفحات ترتيب المعركة من مجموعة بيانات واحدة؛ إذا كان هناك رقم هنا يختلف عن صفحة كتاب الوحوش، فإن هذه الصفحة هي الأحدث من بين الصفحتين.
Photographs: Photo: Ndunruh / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: SMSGT JOHN P. ROHRER, USAF / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Duch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Gary Todd / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Anil Öztas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Guillaume Paumier (user:guillom) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Jerry Gunner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: RHL Images from England / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Bayhaluk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Ken Fielding / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: SDASM Archives / Wikimedia Commons (No restrictions) · Photo: Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Duch.seb / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)