Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will participate as a platinum sponsor of Marrakech Airshow 2026, taking place from Oct. 7–10, presenting advanced defense technologies and engaging Moroccan companies on opportunities to participate in future defense programs.
Industry Day Ahead of the Show
Ahead of the airshow, the company will host an Industry Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with the participation of Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Potential suppliers from across Morocco will receive briefings on qualification requirements and discuss manufacturing opportunities with Lockheed Martin.
“For more than 50 years, we have worked alongside Morocco to support its defense requirements,” said Steve Sheehy, vice president of international business at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
“As that partnership grows, we want Moroccan companies to play a greater role in our global supply chain. Our Industry Day is a practical step toward identifying suppliers with the expertise to contribute to current and future programs, while our sustainment partnerships help build the skills and capacity to maintain aircraft closer to home.”
At the Airshow
Lockheed Martin’s exhibit will feature an F-35 cockpit demonstrator, with invited guests able to explore fifth-generation airpower through scheduled demonstrations.
Visitors can also view scale models of the F-35A, F-16 and C-130J Super Hercules.
A U.S. Air Force C-130J and Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16s will also be on the flight line.
The C-130J’s presence will provide an opportunity to discuss the future of Morocco’s tactical airlift fleet.
Building on the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s decades of Hercules experience, the Super Hercules offers a path to modernize airlift capabilities for military transport, humanitarian relief and disaster response.
A full-scale display of the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod will complement the aircraft exhibits.
The company will also feature Javelin and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), alongside scale models of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor and Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Together, the exhibits will support discussions on airpower, precision fires and air and missile defense.
These discussions will also address how connecting platforms, sensors and command systems can help customers coordinate operations and respond more effectively to evolving threats, a central focus of Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® approach.
More Than 50 Years of Partnership
Lockheed Martin’s partnership with the Royal Moroccan Air Force began in 1974 with the delivery of its first C-130H Hercules.
The relationship expanded with the first F-16 Block 52 deliveries in 2011 and today includes cooperation on aircraft sustainment and industrial development.
That cooperation includes the strategic partnership announced in 2022 supporting Maintenance Aéro Maroc (MAM).
The collaboration with Sabena Engineering, part of Belgium’s Orizio Group, and MEDZ, part of Morocco’s CDG Group, supports the development of aircraft maintenance expertise and infrastructure in Morocco.
In October 2025, MAM and its partners broke ground on a hangar spanning more than 8,000 square meters at Benslimane.
Designed initially for heavy maintenance and modernization of C-130 Hercules aircraft, the project includes plans to expand into other platforms, including the F-16.
It will help develop local technical skills and support Morocco’s ambition to become a regional hub for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.
