Morocco eyes Chinese L-15 aircraft to replace its aging Alpha Jet fleet

The Royal Moroccan Air Force is considering the Chinese L-15 Falcon light attack aircraft, the star of Chinese aircraft manufacturer Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation’s (HAIC) jet trainers, to replace its fleet of Alphajet designs Franco-German to modernize its defense capabilities while diversifying its military partnerships. A choice motivated by the advantageous performance of the device, but also linked to assumed geostrategic interests.

The Royal Air Force (FRA) is in advanced discussions with aircraft manufacturer Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation (HAIC) for the acquisition of an as yet undetermined number of Hongdu L-15 Falcon fighters intended to replace their aging fleet of Alphajet-designed Franco-German (Dassault Aviation-Breguet-Dornier).

The Alpha Jet, jointly developed by Dassault Aviation (France) and Dornier Flugzeugwerke (Germany), has been in service since the late 1970s and has primarily been used for training and light attack missions. However, the Alpha Jet’s aging design no longer meets the demands of modern military operations.

If this contract is formalized as expected, Morocco would follow the example of the United Arab Emirates which signed a year ago for the acquisition of such aircraft from the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) on which HAIC depends. . The deal was for 12 L-15 training aircraft, with an option for 36 more.