Walking the aisles of the Marrakech Air Show, discussions about the support capabilities of the Royal Moroccan Air Force (FRA) keep coming back to one concrete point: the C-130H Hercules fleet, the Kingdom’s logistical backbone, is entering a refurbishment phase that combines a budding local effort with a heavier program carried out in the United States. The stakes go beyond aircraft availability. They touch on industrial sovereignty, relations with American and Belgian partners, and the place Morocco intends to claim as an aeronautical maintenance hub in North Africa and the Mediterranean basin.
A first aircraft out of the workshop after seventeen months
Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM) has completed the overhaul of a first C-130H, registered CN-AOO, at the Benslimane base. According to details EDR Magazine gathered from the company during the show, the work lasted seventeen months, a timeline stretched in particular by supply difficulties inherited from the Covid-19 pandemic. A second aircraft is already being handled, and MAM says it wants to significantly reduce downtime for the following ones. The company ultimately aims to cover the entire Moroccan fleet, with heavy interventions covering structures and equipment.
These first operations are still taking place in existing facilities. The new hangar, whose construction began in October 2025, is set to change the game. Initially announced for the second half of 2026, its entry into service is now expected in February 2027, according to EDR. With a floor area of more than 8,000 m², it will be able to handle several C-130s simultaneously (up to three according to MAM) and carry out two to four heavy maintenance visits per year (Programmed Depot Maintenance).
The project brings together Sabena Engineering (part of the Belgian group Orizio), Lockheed Martin and MEDZ, a subsidiary of the CDG group. The infrastructure belongs to Maroc Aeronautic Assets (MAA). The partners also plan to integrate maintenance of Morocco’s F-16s there from late 2027 or 2028. This dual capability aims to reduce the number of aircraft sent abroad, which is costly in terms of time and operational availability.
Meanwhile, a modernization program is underway in Texas
The FRA are simultaneously pursuing a modernization contract awarded to L3Harris Technologies in July 2025. The program covers eleven C-130Hs out of a fleet of about fifteen aircraft (specialized sources commonly cite fourteen C-130Hs plus two KC-130H tankers). The work takes place at the Waco site in Texas and includes avionics upgrades, heavy depot maintenance, engine overhauls and logistical support. It is due to be completed in 2029.
Three aircraft are currently in, or being brought into, the Texas workshops. Inspections of the first were completed in the summer of 2026; it is receiving, among other things, a new standby instrument and a digital display of engine parameters. A second is due to join the program this fall, and a third, later in the year, will benefit from a more comprehensive avionics overhaul, including a digital cockpit. The first return to Morocco is planned for late 2027. Earlier work had already been carried out on two aircraft by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
At the Marrakech Air Show, L3Harris stated its intention to assess local industrial capabilities in order to progressively maximize the Moroccan footprint of the program, along the lines of localizations carried out in other partner countries.
Why this twin project matters
Morocco’s C-130Hs, some of which have more than forty to fifty years of service, remain essential for tactical transport, operational support, humanitarian aid and special missions. Replacing them entirely with new aircraft (Lockheed continues to offer the C-130J Super Hercules) would be very costly given other modernization priorities, notably the F-16 fleet. Extending their service life by several decades through structural refurbishment and modernized avionics is therefore a rational option, as L3Harris officials point out.
On the industrial side, the Benslimane project is part of a broader strategy: developing a military MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) sector that complements the civil hub at Nouaceur, creating skilled jobs and organizing a transfer of expertise. The stated goal is also to open these capabilities to other African air forces that operate Hercules aircraft, turning Benslimane into a potential regional hub. Morocco thus strengthens its position as a security actor in the Maghreb and beyond, while consolidating its ties with the United States (a major defense partner) and Belgium.
The limits remain visible. Schedules have already slipped. Dependence on American and European supply chains persists for critical parts and deep modernizations. Building up local skills will take time, and coordination between the work carried out at Benslimane and at Waco will need to run smoothly to avoid overlaps or further delays.
Key figures and timeline
- 17 months: duration of the first complete overhaul of a C-130H (CN-AOO) by MAM at Benslimane, according to EDR Magazine.
- February 2027: newly expected entry into service of the new hangar of more than 8,000 m² at Benslimane (initially the second half of 2026).
- 11 aircraft: number of C-130Hs covered by the L3Harris contract, out of a fleet of about 15.
- Late 2027: planned return of the first modernized aircraft from Waco; program completion in 2029.
- Late 2027 / 2028: envisioned start of F-16 maintenance at Benslimane.
Conclusion
This parallel undertaking, local maintenance alongside American modernization, illustrates a pragmatic approach: preserving a robust transport capability at lower cost while gradually building industrial autonomy. Success will depend on meeting the new deadlines, on the quality of the know-how transfer, and on MAM’s ability to demonstrate a real ramp-up. For the partners, it is also a test of sustainable industrial cooperation at a time when defense budgets and geopolitical priorities are evolving rapidly in the Mediterranean basin.
FAQ
When is the new Benslimane hangar due to enter service?
According to EDR Magazine, in February 2027, after a slip from the second half of 2026 initially announced.
How many aircraft is L3Harris modernizing?
Eleven C-130Hs out of a fleet of about fifteen, with work at Waco running until 2029.
Will the Benslimane center serve only the Royal Moroccan Air Force?
No. The partners plan for it to offer its services to other African air forces operating Hercules aircraft, and to later integrate Morocco’s F-16s.
