Lockheed Martin’s first F-16 Block 72 for Morocco has completed its maiden flight, moving the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s long-awaited acquisition closer to delivery. The aircraft is still in the flight-test phase and is the first jet from Morocco’s Block 72 batch to fly.
The milestone comes just ahead of Marrakech Airshow 2026, which opens on 7 October in Marrakech and is expected to draw attention to Morocco’s fast-developing defence-aerospace market. Morocco approved the purchase of 25 F-16 Block 72s in 2019, alongside a separate modernisation programme for its existing F-16 fleet. No public delivery of a Block 72 had been widely confirmed before this first-flight report.
The jet’s successful debut signals that production is advancing towards delivery readiness after a prolonged wait for the Block 72 programme. It also comes as Lockheed Martin deepens its industrial and strategic engagement in Morocco, where the company is preparing an exhibition and industry programme around the airshow. The Royal Moroccan Air Force already operates F-16s, having received its first batch of Block 52 aircraft in 2011.