The Moroccan Air Force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the Sherifian Royal Aviation (). Its modern installations and bases were inherited from
France (
Meknes,
Rabat in tandem with the United States,
Marrakech,
Kenitra,
Ben Guerir,
Boulhault,
Nouasseur, and
Sidi Slimane), In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft were deployed in several of these bases, including nuclear bombers from the
Strategic Air Command. 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 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 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 47s. 12
North American T-6 Texans 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 conflict. The first 25 Mirage F1CH 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 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 was achieved in 1996 and 1997. During the 90s there were plans for purchasing
Mirage 2000 or F-16 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. Its
Fairchild C-119s and
Douglas C-47s were used to resupply troops,
North American T-6s for reconnaissance, and
Morane-Saulnier Alcyons for ground attack.
MiG-17s were only used sporadically, mostly due to their short range.
Yom Kippur War During the
Yom Kippur War, a squadron of Royal Moroccan Air Force Northrop F-5As joined the Egyptian 69 Squadron at Tanta on 19 October 1973. At least 14
MiG-17s and also around a dozen of F-5As were deployed. The F-5As arrived after a lengthy trip, via
Tunis and
Libya, accompanied by Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports that carried spare parts, weapons, and equipment. Moroccans started flying tasked with
CAP missions over the
Nile Delta. In January 1974 two F-5As armed with
AIM-9Bs and
20mm cannons intercepted a pair of
Israeli Air Force Mirage IIICJs on a
reconnaissance 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 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,
Fouga Magisters (based at
Laayoune) and
North American T-6 Texans (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 and armoured vehicles, such as mine fields and
barbed wire. 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 missiles to engage the
POLISARIO's armoured vehicles and
technicals from outside the range of light
anti-aircraft guns. Apart from the ground radars of the Wall, two C-130 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
Laayoune, the religious center
Smara, and the
phosphate fields of
Bou Craa. 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 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. 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. However, only the first six aircraft were delivered. They were mostly used in a
maritime patrol role and for reconnaissance due to their inefficiency in combat.
Intervention against ISIL In late 2014 Morocco sent F-16s into combat against
ISIL in
Iraq and
Syria. This was the first deployment for the jets since Morocco purchased them in 2011.
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 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 (Hands On Throttle And Stick) • New EWPS/-100 (DM/A-106) RWR • Cockpit Layout with new: •
heads-up display • 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 Dassault Mirage F1 upgrade program, which has overhauled 27 Mirage F1s (F1CH, F1EH and F1EH-200) to the level of
Mirage 2000-5 to improve survivability for the MF2000, that included : • The replacement of the old
Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV radar by
Thales 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 multifunction LCDs, a
Head-Up Display with UFCP (Up Front Control Panel), two mini-LCDs (to RWR and artificial horizon) and full
HOTAS 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 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 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 and
GPS/INS+
IIR guided bombs. •
AM39 Exocet Air-to-sea missiles. •
Paveway Laser-guided bombs. This upgrade was developed by ASTRAC (Association Sagem
Thales 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 tanks (CFTs). (left) during a meeting with Brigadier General Robert Ferrell, March 2010
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. •
GPS/INS and
Laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. •
GBU-24 Paveway III,
GBU-10 Paveway II and
GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guidance and fin kits to convert 2,000 pound bombs.
Other purchases and upgrades In 2008, 4 C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft were also purchased from
Finmeccanica subsidiary
Alenia Aeronautica for 130 million euro, and the advanced trainer and
CAS/
COIN aircraft
Alpha Jet E fleet was upgraded to the "E+ standard".
General Atomics received in 2010 export licenses to sell an unarmed export version of the
Predator to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, U.A.E. and Morocco. Six aerial firefighting
Bombardier 415 Superscooper were also purchased in 2011. The modernization and upgrade of the former US Air Force base in
Ben Guerir Air Base to support its F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft is also important. In March 2013, it has been reported that the RMAF have purchased 3
EADS Harfang 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-16s to the Block 72 standard. 24 Apache helicopters were also ordered in 2020. ==Ranks==