Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Takes Flight in the US: A Key Step Toward a 48-Jet Fleet
The first F-16 Block 72 built for the Royal Moroccan Air Force has completed its initial test flight in the United States. Built by Lockheed Martin, the aircraft has now entered the pre-delivery flight test campaign, marking a concrete production milestone seven years after Washington approved the underlying sale.
According to Infodefensa, which broke the story on Tuesday, the jet is fitted with a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine and an AN/APG-83 AESA radar, bringing active electronically scanned array capability to the Moroccan fleet for the first time. EurasianTimes confirmed the report the same day, while Army Recognition and Janes also flagged the milestone in their coverage.
The US State Department cleared the package in 2019 at an estimated value of $3.787 billion. It covers 25 F-16C/D Block 72 aircraft along with 29 engines (four spares), 26 radars, mission computers, Link 16 tactical data terminals, navigation equipment, targeting systems and air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions. No official delivery date has been released; Lockheed Martin says the aircraft will continue through its planned flight test program.
A parallel track covers the 23 F-16C/D Block 50/52 jets Morocco already operates, which are being upgraded to the Block 70/72 standard. Once that modernization is complete, the Royal Moroccan Air Force will operate a single-standard fleet of 48 F-16 Block 70/72-level aircraft — new-build and upgraded combined. A separate $42.1 million contract with CAE, awarded in August 2026, covers full mission training systems for that future fleet.
Morocco’s relationship with the F-16 dates back to 2011, when Rabat took delivery of 24 F-16C/D Block 52 jets and kept the fleet current through incremental upgrades over the following years. The Block 72 order builds on that foundation, aiming to bring the entire fleet onto one technological standard rather than maintaining parallel configurations. The difference between Block 70 and Block 72 is largely a matter of customer-selected equipment packages; both share the same AESA radar and engine options, with Morocco’s order designated “72.”
For Lockheed Martin, the delivery underscores that the F-16 production line still carries an active order book. The Block 70/72 line has stayed busy in recent years with deliveries to Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Jordan; Morocco’s order represents its first major North African customer on this standard. That backlog is itself a variable shaping how quickly new FMS requests can move from contract to delivery.
Air force modernization has been one of the largest line items in Morocco’s defense budget over the past decade. Alongside the F-16 fleet, Rabat has been expanding its missile defense and drone inventories; the 2019 US package forms the air-power component of that broader procurement strategy. Algeria’s continued reliance on Russian- and Chinese-sourced equipment over the same period keeps the regional air-power comparison a live topic for defense analysts.
For Turkey, the development is worth tracking on two fronts. First, the Turkish Air Force remains one of the world’s largest F-16 operators, giving it a direct comparative stake in how Block 70/72 technology and training infrastructure perform in the field. Second, Lockheed Martin’s export success in this segment illustrates the competitive landscape that TAI’s KAAN and Hürjet programs will eventually have to contend with in similar markets. Morocco’s case offers a current snapshot of what mid-sized air forces prioritize when modernizing a fighter fleet.
How the flight test campaign proceeds over the coming months — and when first deliveries actually begin — will be the program’s next milestone to watch, both for the regional air-power balance and for the pace of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 production line.
Kaynaklar
- Infodefensa, “El primer F-16 Block 72 de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Marruecos completa su vuelo de prueba en EEUU,” October 7, 2026 — https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/6042449/primer-f-16-block-72-real-fuerza-aerea-marruecos-completa-vuelo-prueba-eeuu (primary source: contract and technical details)
- EurasianTimes, “F-35 Bid Stalls — But Morocco’s 1st F-16 Block 72 Fighter Jet Completes Maiden Flight,” October 7, 2026 — https://www.eurasiantimes.com/f-35-bid-stalls-moroccos-1st-f-16-block-72-fighter-jet-completes-maiden-flight/ (independent corroboration and regional context)
