Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM) has officially broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art maintenance hangar at Benslimane airport, launching a strategic project to provide in-country heavy maintenance for the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) fleet. The ceremony, held on October 15, 2025, marks a milestone in a venture that brings together Moroccan, Belgian, and American industrial partners.
The facility is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the F-16 and C-130, and Sabena Engineering, a Belgian MRO specialist under the Orizio Group. They are partnered with Morocco’s MEDZ, the infrastructure development subsidiary of the state’s Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) investment fund.
Scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2026, the new centre is poised to become a regional hub for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services, starting with Morocco’s most critical air assets: the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the C-130 Hercules.
A Strategic Industrial Partnership
The project, first announced in April 2022, is a direct result of Morocco’s extensive military modernisation program. The new facility is designed to support the RMAF’s growing and evolving fleet, create hundreds of high-skilled local jobs, and facilitate a substantial transfer of technology and skills.
“This construction is more than an infrastructure; it embodies a collective ambition and mutual trust among partners committed to the future of aircraft maintenance,” said Stephane Burton, CEO of Sabena Engineering.
Lockheed Martin’s involvement as a direct partner in the MRO venture is central to the deal. It ensures the facility will have the OEM’s technical backing and certification, which is vital for servicing advanced platforms like the F-16.
“This collaboration goes beyond building capability,” affirmed Ray Piselli, Vice President of International Business at Lockheed Martin. “It is creating high-skilled jobs and driving industrial growth in Morocco, strengthening our partnership… and demonstrating that true partnership delivers enduring security and shared prosperity.”
The Benslimane site was chosen for its strategic location and its status as an existing air force base, providing ample space for expansion. While initial 2022 announcements described a 15,000-square-meter MRO centre, reports from the groundbreaking ceremony detail the new hangar itself as covering 8,000 square meters. This structure will be built on an 80,000-square-meter plot acquired for the project, suggesting a phased development with room for future growth.
The project’s launch follows a period of restructuring. After experiencing funding delays in early 2023, the venture was solidified by the creation of a separate entity, Maintenance Aeronautic Assets (MAA), in September 2022. This body, capitalised at $1.93 million and 90% owned by MEDZ, was tasked with acquiring the land, effectively separating the real estate assets from the MRO operations and stabilising the project’s foundation.
Supporting a High-Tech Fleet
The Benslimane facility is crucial for servicing the RMAF’s upgraded and expanded fleet of combat aircraft. Morocco is in the midst of a two-part F-16 modernisation. Its existing 23 F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft, acquired from 2011 to 2012, are programmed for upgrade to the advanced F-16V (Block 70/72) standard.
Furthermore, in 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the $3.7 billion sale of 25 new-build F-16C/D Block 72 fighters. The establishment of the MAM centre provides a domestic, OEM-backed solution for the deep maintenance and support this combined future fleet of 48 advanced F-16s will require.
The RMAF’s transport wing is equally dependent on its workhorse C-130s. The force operates a fleet of 12 C-130H tactical airlifters and two KC-130H tankers. These aircraft are the backbone of Morocco’s airlift and aerial refuelling capability, and they are also undergoing modernisation.
The MAM center’s creation is complementary to other upgrade programs. In July 2025, the RMAF contracted L3Harris Technologies for a comprehensive modernisation of its C-130 fleet. That program includes avionics system upgrades, heavy maintenance, and engine overhauls. The Benslimane facility will be perfectly positioned to perform the heavy airframe maintenance and modification work associated with such complex upgrades, in partnership with avionics and systems integrators.
Building on an Existing Hub
This new investment deepens the Orizio Group’s existing industrial footprint in Morocco. Its subsidiary, Sabca Maroc, has operated a 16,000-square-meter factory in Nouaceur (Casablanca) since 2012. That facility specialises in the assembly of aerostructures for clients like Airbus, Pilatus, and Dassault, and has previously assisted the RMAF with modernising its Mirage F1 and Alphajet aircraft.
Similarly, in mid-2023. Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, announced that it will launch an affiliate, Pratt & Whitney Maroc (PWM), in Casablanca, to manufacture detailed static and structural machined parts for various engine models.
The MAM project moves the partnership from aerostructure assembly into the far more complex and lucrative domain of heavy MRO for front-line American-made platforms. It solidifies Morocco’s status as one of Africa’s most dynamic aeronautical hubs, which already hosts major players like Safran, Stelia Aerospace, and Spirit AeroSystems.
By securing this long-term industrial partnership, Morocco is not just acquiring aircraft; it is embedding the capability to sustain, modify, and support them for decades to come, with an eye on eventually servicing other allied F-16 and C-130 operators in the region.