The last three of 24 F-16 Block 52 fighters built by Lockheed Martin for the Royal Moroccan Air Force departed the company’s production facility in Fort Worth, Tex., for Morocco, reported South Africa-based defenceWeb. The new-build airplanes left Fort Worth on Aug. 22, according to defenseWeb’s Aug. 29 report. Morocco ordered the two dozen F-16s in 2008. It took delivery of the first four aircraft in August 2011. The F-16s operate from Ben Guerir Air Base, which is located about 36 miles north of Marrakech.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.