MARRAKECH, Morocco —
U.S. Air Force aircraft and senior defense officials are scheduled to participate in the Marrakech Air Show 2026, Oct. 7-10, highlighting U.S. airpower, aerospace capabilities and partnerships with Morocco and other regional allies and partners.
Held biennially, the Marrakech Air Show brings together hundreds of civilian and military aviation leaders and thousands of visitors from across the region and around the world.
This year, the U.S. Air Force is participating with several aircraft platforms, including an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, which is scheduled to conduct a flyover; an HC-130J Combat King II assigned to the 211th Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and a KC-135R Stratotanker assigned to the 151st Wing at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, Utah.
The 151st Wing and Morocco have partnered through the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program since 2003, strengthening interoperability and fostering a long-standing security cooperation relationship between the two nations.
The Marrakech Air Show, the largest air show in Africa, has been held every two years since 2008. Continued U.S. participation provides opportunities to strengthen relationships with Morocco and other regional partners while bringing government, military and industry leaders together to exchange ideas and explore emerging aerospace capabilities relevant to current and future operations.
“It is an honor to be at Marrakech ahead of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.-Moroccan Alliance,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Matthew J. French, Air National Guard assistant to the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. “Hosted by the United States’ oldest Ally, this forum best illustrates our goal of establishing strong and enduring Allied and partner forces for an evolving security environment. It makes us stronger in both our individual and combined capacities.”
Participation in events such as the Marrakech Air Show builds upon more than two centuries of U.S.-Moroccan relations and demonstrates the two nations’ continued commitment to cooperation, interoperability and shared security.
Source: www.usafe.af.mil
