Morocco could become the first country in the Arab World and Africa overall to strengthen its aerial arsenal with the F-35 fifth-generation fighter aircraft from the United States. The deal would serve to maintain the military balance with Algeria, which is rapidly increasing its air warfare capabilities, according to Bulgarianmilitary.
Algeria’s multi-role fighter units are mostly composed of modern “4+Generation” planes, such as the Su-30MKA and MiG-29M/M2. Mid-weight MiGs augment these heavyweight giants.
The Moroccan fleet is a bit less sophisticated and falls into the lightweight classifications. The arrangement contains 23 fourth-generation F16C/D fighters, which use mechanically scanned radars, a technology that is now considered obsolete. The Kingdom is also armed with a supply of 22 F-5E/F and 26 Mirage F1 fighters, both lightweight third-generation aircraft.
There are rumors that Morocco may purchase pre-owned Mirage 2000 fighters from the UAE, an equivalent in size and performance to F-16s, and thus fall short of Algeria’s more prestigious Su-30MKAs or MiG-29Ms.
Following the November 2021 meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Benny Ganz and his Moroccan peer Abdellatif Loudiyi, a growing chorus inside Morocco is soliciting Israel’s assistance with the acquisition of this unique F-35 fighter plane.