Morocco to Boost Air Force with 30 French Fighters, Awaits F-35s

According to El Confidencial, the delivery is scheduled for 2027, the year during which the Moroccan air force should also receive 25 American F-16 Block 70/72Viper aircraft, ordered in 2019 for 3.59 billion euros. In total, the Royal Air Force will have 55 new aircraft and will see its combat capability increase by 62%. "The new aircraft will be added to the 40 Mirage F1, 26 F-5 and 24 F-16 that it already operates. This air combat power will allow it to better compete with its great adversary, Algeria," informs the Spanish media.

Abu Dhabi should obtain the approval of the French government before sending the Mirage 2000-9 to Morocco, a procedure that has been ongoing since the end of 2021. At the time, relations between Paris and Rabat were tense due, among other things, to the alleged spying on the mobile phones of President Emmanuel Macron and his ministers using the Pegasus software. Relations between the two countries have normalized after the state visit made by the French president to Rabat at the end of last October, which has probably led France to approve this transfer.

For its part, Algeria wishes to acquire from Russia, its privileged partner, the Sukhoi Su-57, a fifth-generation stealth fighter. The Algerian army already has 70 Sukhoi Su-30MKA, 36 Sukhoi Su-24 and 25 MiG-29S. The arms race between Morocco and Algeria is intensifying. The two neighboring countries have continued to increase their defense budgets over the past decade.