Morocco’s Advanced F-16 Fighter Jets Delivery Delayed Until 2027

According to a recent report by the American think tank "Cato Institute", Morocco should be preparing to receive these fighter jets in 2027, noting that "the gap between the announcement of the Moroccan fighter jet transaction (2019) and the delivery date is eight years." This transaction with Morocco for the purchase of F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft is the second largest concluded by the United States, after that with Taiwan, the document informs.

In terms of the waiting period between the announcement and the delivery, "Morocco and Bahrain are at the top of the list of countries experiencing a long waiting period for the delivery of these aircraft, i.e. an average of eight years. Taiwan precedes them with a wait of about seven years, followed by Bulgaria and Slovakia with an average of six years," it specifies.

The calculation of the deadlines begins after "examination of the list of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the main arms sales for three platforms, namely: HIMARS, F-16V and F-16 Block 70, and the Abrams tanks," the same source points out, adding that "this approach ensures a fair comparison of delivery deadlines." Then, it will be necessary to "perform calculations of the time between the Agency’s (DSCA) announcement and the average delivery to foreign countries."

Similarly, the "HIMARS" missiles ordered by Morocco will not be delivered before "3 or 4 years from the official announcement period," the American think tank indicates, forecasting the reception of the "Abrams" tanks by Morocco in five years.