Morocco Upgrades F16 Fleet with Electronic Warfare Systems

The Royal Moroccan Air Force will upgrade its fleet of F16 fighter jets with electronic warfare systems supplied by Harris Corporation under a contract worth $91 million.

The company said in a statement that it will equip the F16 fighters of the Royal Moroccan Air Force with the Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS), to “help protect the RMAF F-16 aircraft fleet against current and evolving electronic threats.”

“AIDEWS’ integrated radar warning and RF countermeasures defend against modern sophisticated electronic threats,” the statement quoted Ed Zoiss, President, Harris Electronic Systems as saying.

“Harris is committed to rapidly fielding this proven capability to support the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s pilots and enable their mission,” Zoiss added.

Last November, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation struck a $16.3-million contract to upgrade Morocco’s F-16.

In December 2009, Morocco placed a $841.9 million contract with Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics to purchase 18 single-seat F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds, as part of a program to upgrade its armed forces.

Morocco’s F-16s are equipped with a variety of extra equipment, including Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pods, Goodrich DB-110 airborne reconnaissance pods and Raytheon’s Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System (ACES). Armament includes AIM-9X Block II Sidewinders with lock on after launch capability, AGM-65D Maverick air-to-surface missiles and Enhanced GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided bomb kits.

The Moroccan Air Force are deployed in the Bengrir air base near Marrakech. They have been used in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. One of these jets was lost in a crash due to reportedly technical failure.

The delivery of these fighter jets places Morocco among an elite group of air forces who operate the advanced multirole F-16 air craft.