The Moroccan FREMM not take the sea before 2013

Due to technical problems, the multi-mission frigate commissioned in France by Morocco sees its first sea trials delayed. Floated September 14, 2011, the future Mohammed VI, who was sailing from Lorient in September / October this year, will not win the wide several months, apparently due to problems with its propulsion. DCNS teams are on deck to solve the problems as soon as possible on the equipment concerned. For now, the general timetable is apparently not changed it, the industrial reorganization in order not to delay the delivery of the frigate, scheduled for the second half of 2013. Moreover, these hazards specific to this building do not affect the rest of the FREMM program. Thus, Aquitaine, seeded French frigates of this type normally continues its sea trials for delivery to the Navy in the coming weeks.Asked by writing Mer et Marine on technical risks faced by the Moroccan frigate DCNS would not speak.

A frigate at the forefront of technology

However, it is worth recalling that, on programs such complex hazards and technical difficulties of development are relatively common, despite the precautions taken by the manufacturers and their subcontractors. Certainly, DCNS would be spent on the difficulties Mohammed VI, since they have nothing dramatic, this kind of event is always difficult in terms

The arms race between Morocco and Algeria intensifies

The arms race between Algeria and Morocco does not seem to stop, the Algerian military junta is in power for many years to upset the balance of forces in North Africa in its favor, this drawing in its large financial resources generated by pumping and export of hydrocarbons. Successive orders Algerian weapons leave that choice to Morocco to follow the trend to preserve the balance of power and to keep some military deterrence vis-à-vis its rival Algeria. By increasing the scope and intensity of the arms race, the Algerian decision-makers aim to bleed economically Morocco, whose foreign exchange earnings come not easy pumping of subterranean resources but rather economic performance which is struggling to thrive in the context of global economic crisis. FAR military budget in the year 2012 around 5 billion acquisition budget and only around 1 billion dollars, against a budget of over $ 8 billion for Algeria.

Although the FAR budget is relatively small, however it is the ambitions of Morocco, however the budget in national currency FAR from the state budget or in the absence of a national military industry self-sufficient the FAR are forced to import all their needs in terms of weapons, ammunition and spare parts, which poses a problem whenever currency reserves given the limited national currencies which are intended in their majority most vital needs such as payment of energy bills and grain imports.

A 2nd wave of acquisitions Algerian seems to show on the horizon, in fact, the Algerian newspaper El-Khabar reported that AAF (Algerian Air Force) Algerian seems interested in the introduction and for the first time the story of a fighter Western rumored to be the release of the Swedish SAAB Gripen or the Rafale of French Dassault.

The timing and the reasons behind such a strategic decision are manifold. The acquisition of weapons is a matter of first policy insofar as a supplier of weapons, engages through the deed to confer a political and diplomatic support to client countries, it is a more implicit guarantee to provide ammunition and spare parts at all times. For a country that has already suffered a severe military embargo, a country whose officers are trained in Russian military academies and are imbued with socialist ideals and Marxist, Algeria has always had a natural inclination toward the Russian weapons, given the strong historical ties that bind the two countries. However, since the fall of

The Moroccan Air Force now has 24 F-16 Block-52

The Royal Air Force (FRA) recently received three units of 24 fighter jets F-16 Block-52, manufactured by U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The three aircraft had left last August, the offices of Lockheed Martin in Texas, destination Benguérir Air Force Base, near Marrakech. With this new batch, Morocco ranks 25th among the countries with the 4,500 F-16 aircraft, which are circulating in the world.

It was August 4, 2011, the Moroccan Air Force received its first batch of 24 F16 Block 52, operated by Morocco in 2008, the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin for $ 2.4 billion .

Before arriving in Morocco the first F-16 Block-52, a group of officers of pilots and mechanics ARF had visited the airbase south carolina United States for an introductory course in use and maintenance of this unit. "The delivery of these aircraft positions Morocco in the very closed group of hosts that operate aircraft multi-role F-16," declared the receipt of the first batch Bengérir, Ralph D. Heath, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Warship Delivered to Moroccan Navy by Dutch Shipyard

SIGMA Class Frigate, 'Allal Ben Abdellah', built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in Vlissingen, transferred to the Royal Moroccan Navy.

DSNS took the opportunity for the ceremony to take place in Rotterdam, during the 35th edition of the "World Port Days".

The delivery of the last ship of a series of three marks the culmination of a period of dedicated and successful partnership with the Royal Moroccan Navy. All three ships were delivered in time, on schedule, meeting all the requirements as stated in the contract.

After commissioning, the crew will continue with another three weeks of Sail Safety Training in Den Helder and North Sea  conducted by training teams of the Royal Netherlands Navy. After that the Allal Ben Abdellah will start her maiden voyage to Morocco.

Lockheed Martin delivers final F-16s to Morocco

The final three of 24 F-16s for the Royal Moroccan Air Force have departed Lockheed Martin’s facility in Texas on their way to their new home in Morocco.

The final F-16 destined for Morocco performed its first flight on March 15 from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base and the final the three Block 52 single-seat aircraft left the base on August 22.

The Royal Moroccan Air Force on August 4, 2011, took delivery of the first four F-16s at a ceremony at Ben Guerir Air Base north of Marrakech.

Major General Margaret Woodward of the US Air Force at the time told reporters in Marrakech that another seven aircraft would be delivered at the beginning of this year and the remaining 13 in the following months.

Morocco USMC MV-22 Osprey crash due to pilot error

 The 11 April, 2012, crash of a Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor in Morocco belonging to the US Marine Corps's VMM-261 squadron was not due to a mechanical failure or and other safety defect.

Instead, the aircraft, which was participating in an exercise called African Lion alongside Moroccan forces, crashed due to pilot error. Two marines were killed in the accident, while the two USMC pilots flying the aircraft were severely injured.

Lt Gen Robert Schmidle Jr, the Marines' deputy commandant for aviation, says the aircraft took-off vertically with the wind coming from directly head-on relative to the aircraft. The aircraft climbed vertically to about two dozen feet into the air when the pilots decided to execute a pedal-turn to the right in order to avoid overflying some Marines on the ground.

As the pilots executed that turn, the wind was now coming from behind the aircraft. Moreover, the pilots had started to use a thumb-wheel on the MV-22's throttle/collective to rotate the aircraft's engine nacelles forward. That, Schmidle says, caused the Osprey's center of gravity to shift forward.

Morocco to receive final SIGMA frigate next month

Morocco’s third and final SIGMA class frigate, Allal Ben Abdellah, will be delivered to the Royal Moroccan Navy on September 8.

Allal Ben Abdellah completed sea trials in June, on schedule. However, further training, including Sail Safety Training, took place after the sea trials in the North Sea.

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding transferred the first SIGMA frigate to the Royal Moroccan Navy on September 10, 2011. King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of Staff of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, officially commissioned the first SIGMA frigate, Tarik Ben Ziyad, on December 23, 2011, in Casablanca.