Morocco Upgrades Military Airport to House New Apache Attack Helicopters

The rehabilitation of the Khouribga military airport is one of the projects included in the 2022 budget of the National Defense Administration, reports ActuDéfense Maroc on its Twitter account. A project whose purpose is the reception of the 24 "AH-64 Apache" helicopters ordered by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) from the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

In June 2020, Boeing and Morocco had concluded a contract for the purchase of 24 AH-64 Apache helicopters after the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had authorized the sale in November 2019 for an estimated amount of $4.2 billion. Last October, the U.S. Congress also approved the provision of 52 AN/ARC-231 Skyfire radio systems for the helicopters.

The AH-64 Apache helicopter is a model equipped with the latest communication, navigation, sensor and weapon systems, which is currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan on U.S. Army helicopters and on U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft. The order will be delivered to the FAR starting in 2024.