F-16 Block 72: First successful flight of Royal Air Force fighter

The first F-16 Block 72 dedicated to the Royal Moroccan Air Force successfully completed its first test flight, in an announcement published by Lockheed Martin on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in a new station of the program to supply Morocco with this advanced generation of fighters. Mike Shoemaker, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Fighter Group, said the flight “reflects significant progress on Morocco's F-16 Block 72 program and is a critical step to strengthening air power. The aircraft will still undergo further test flights before being officially delivered to the Royal Air Force. The $3.8 billion deal comes under a deal approved by the US State Department in 2019, which includes supplying Morocco with 25 new F-16C/D Block 72 fighter jets valued at $3.8 billion, along with a parallel $985.2 million contract to upgrade 23 old Royal Air Force F-16s to F-16V specifications. Block 72 is the latest version of the F-16 in the world, featuring state-of-the-art electronic systems, last-generation sensors and improved mission systems that raise levels of safety and reliability. Military cooperation extends for more than 50 years. The military cooperation between Morocco and Lockheed Martin extends for more than 50 years. It began in 1974 with the delivery of the first C-130H transport aircraft. The Royal Moroccan Air Force currently operates F-16s and C-130s along with advanced radar systems and Black Hawk helicopters, and is also expected to take delivery of HIMARS precision strike systems as part of a comprehensive modernization program for its air arsenal. Morocco is betting on regional air maintenance. In a related context, Maintenance Aero Maroc is working to establish a maintenance, repair and renovation center in the city of Benslimane, with an area of more than 8,000 square meters, which is currently dedicated to heavy maintenance of C-130 Hercules aircraft, with plans to expand its activity later to include maintenance of F-16 fighters, in a move that strengthens Morocco's position as a regional center for military air maintenance. Lockheed did not disclose Martin announced a precise date for the delivery of the first batch of new fighters, at a time when the first aircraft is completing more test flights.