Belgian aerospace firms Sabca and Sabena have signed a strategic partnership with Lockheed Martin to build a new military aircraft maintenance facility in Morocco.
According to a press release, the facility will support the sustainment of various military aircraft used by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.
It also seeks to create high-tech jobs and opportunities in the North African nation.
The Belgian defense companies will construct a 15,000 square-meter (161,458 square-foot) maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade center at the Benslimane Airport.
Maintenance Aero Maroc will operate the state-of-the-art facility.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force currently flies 12 C-130H transport aircraft, two KC-130H tanker aircraft, and four C-27J Spartan aircraft.
‘Significant Cooperation’
The establishment of a new aircraft facility in Morocco is expected to bolster the country’s defense and military-industrial sectors.
Blueberry Group chief executive officer Stéphane Burton said that the partnership aims to offer “high-quality” sustainment services to the Moroccan Air Force.
“Our Group has 50 years’ experience maintaining, repairing, and upgrading aircraft such as the C-130 and the F-16,” he explained. “We are extremely proud to start this new partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and Lockheed Martin.”
For Lockheed vice president Danya Trent, the initiative represents “significant cooperation” between Belgium and Morocco resulting from years of evaluation and discussions.
She stated that the joint venture will ensure Morocco “receives the best possible industrial facility, equipment, training, and certification to support the Royal Moroccan Air Force.”
