Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Completes Maiden Flight
The first F-16 Block 72 fighter built for Morocco completed its maiden flight on October 6, 2026, at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Greenville, South Carolina, the company announced. The flight is the first by any Block 72 airframe anywhere in the world, making the Royal Moroccan Air Force the launch operator of the newest production standard of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
What Happened
Lockheed Martin said the aircraft, the first of 25 new-build F-16 Block 72 jets ordered by Morocco, flew successfully from the company’s Greenville site, where the U.S. manufacturer builds all current-production F-16s. Mike Shoemaker, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group, called the flight “a critical step in strengthening Morocco’s future airpower” and said it reflected “meaningful progress on Morocco’s F-16 Block 72 program.”
The aircraft will now proceed through additional flight testing before delivery to Morocco. Lockheed Martin did not give a specific delivery date for the first jet. The U.S. State Department approved the $3.787 billion sale of 25 F-16 Block 72 aircraft to Morocco in March 2019, and the program has moved through production over the subsequent years.
The Product/System
The F-16 Block 72 is the export designation of Lockheed Martin’s current F-16V production standard, built alongside the U.S. Air Force’s own Block 70/72 jets for allied customers. Compared with older F-16 variants, it carries the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar able to track more than 20 targets simultaneously, a modernized glass cockpit, a Center Display Unit, an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, and a structural service life rated to 12,000 flight hours. Power comes from a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine rated at roughly 129.7 kN with afterburner. The jets can carry conformal fuel tanks adding about 1,666 liters of fuel for extended range, and are wired for Link 16 data-sharing with other coalition aircraft.
Bahrain was the first customer to order the new-build standard in 2017, under the Block 70 designation, and received its first aircraft in 2023 following its own first flight in January that year. Morocco’s jets, built to the equivalent Block 72 standard, are the first of that specific designation to fly, effectively making Rabat the launch customer for the Block 72 line even though Bahrain preceded it with Block 70.
Who Uses It
Confirmed Block 70/72 operators and customers include Bahrain (16 jets, deliveries underway since 2024), Slovakia (14 jets), Bulgaria, Jordan (additional jets on order), Taiwan (66 jets on order), and now Morocco (25 jets). Morocco already operates 23 older F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, delivered in 2010-2011 from an original batch of 24; one was lost during Royal Moroccan Air Force operations over Yemen in 2015. Those aircraft are being separately upgraded with modernized avionics even as the new Block 72 jets enter production, a combination Lockheed Martin says will roughly double Morocco’s F-16 fleet to 48 aircraft.
Export and Procurement History
Lockheed Martin’s relationship with Morocco’s armed forces dates back more than 50 years, to the delivery of the country’s first C-130H Hercules in 1974. The Royal Moroccan Air Force became the F-16’s 25th global operator when it took delivery of its first four jets at Ben Guerir Air Base in August 2011, following pilot training at the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. The current Block 72 order was approved by the U.S. State Department in March 2019 at an estimated value of $3.787 billion, covering the 25 aircraft along with munitions, support equipment, and training.
In August 2026, Canada’s CAE was contracted to deliver two full-mission simulator systems to Morocco by April 2029 to support pilot conversion training ahead of the new jets’ arrival. Lockheed Martin also cited a planned expansion of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility at Benslimane, which currently supports C-130 heavy maintenance and is slated to add F-16 capability. Morocco’s broader U.S. procurement pipeline includes Black Hawk helicopters and incoming HIMARS rocket artillery systems.
Global Competitors
The F-16 Block 72’s main rivals in the export fighter market are the Saab Gripen E/F, Dassault’s Rafale, and China’s Chengdu J-10C, all of which have been pitched to or acquired by air forces in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East in recent years. Morocco’s neighbor Algeria has moved toward Russian and Chinese combat aircraft, while Egypt has separately sought new F-16 Block 70 jets from Washington alongside Rafales and Russian-origin fighters, illustrating how North African air forces are diversifying suppliers rather than committing to a single partner. The Gripen E remains the F-16V’s closest mid-size competitor in markets where price and sovereignty concerns outweigh American end-user restrictions.
Why It Matters
For Morocco, the Block 72 purchase roughly doubles its F-16 fleet and brings a radar and avionics suite broadly comparable to aircraft flown by NATO air forces, reinforcing Rabat’s position as one of the best-equipped air forces in Africa at a time of tension with Algeria over Western Sahara and a wider regional arms build-up. For Lockheed Martin, a clean first flight on the first Block 72 airframe is a program milestone that derisks deliveries to Morocco and to other announced or prospective Block 70/72 customers still waiting in the production queue, including Jordan and Taiwan’s larger order, for a manufacturer whose fighter business remains its largest single revenue line.
What Happens Next
The aircraft will continue flight testing at Greenville before Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government clear it for delivery to Morocco; the company has not published a firm delivery date. Pilot conversion training is expected to ramp up as CAE’s simulators arrive ahead of the April 2029 contractual deadline, and Morocco’s Benslimane facility is expected to gradually take on F-16 maintenance work currently handled elsewhere.
FAQ
What is the F-16 Block 72?
It is the export version of Lockheed Martin’s newest F-16 production standard, equivalent to the Block 70 jets built for the U.S. Air Force and allies, featuring an AESA radar, modernized cockpit, and extended 12,000-hour structural life.
How many F-16 Block 72 jets did Morocco order?
Morocco ordered 25 new-build F-16 Block 72 aircraft, approved by the U.S. State Department in March 2019 at an estimated value of $3.787 billion.
When will Morocco receive its F-16 Block 72 jets?
Lockheed Martin has not announced a specific delivery date. The first aircraft completed its maiden flight on October 6, 2026, and will undergo further flight testing before delivery.
How many F-16s will Morocco have in total?
Combining the 25 incoming Block 72 jets with 23 existing, separately upgraded Block 52+ aircraft, Morocco’s F-16 fleet is set to grow to roughly 48 aircraft.
Which other countries fly the F-16 Block 70/72?
Confirmed customers include Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Jordan, and Taiwan, alongside Morocco.
Sources
- Lockheed Martin, press release, October 6, 2026 — official announcement of the first flight, program background, and executive quote. news.lockheedmartin.com
- FlightGlobal, “Morocco’s first F-16 Block 72 takes to the skies,” October 2026 — independent confirmation and technical context. flightglobal.com
- Army Recognition, “Morocco’s First U.S.-Made F-16 Block 72 Takes Flight as Air Force Modernization Enters New Phase,” October 2026 — fleet modernization figures and specification detail. armyrecognition.com
- Militarnyi, “Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Fighter Takes Flight,” October 2026 — independent corroboration of the flight and program timeline. militarnyi.com
- Aviation A2Z, “First F-16 Block 72 Flies as Morocco Nears New $3.787 Billion Fighter Delivery,” October 7, 2026 — contract value confirmation. aviationa2z.com
