Lockheed Martin is looking for Moroccan companies that could become suppliers for its global defence business. The US defence and aerospace company will hold an Industrial Day in Marrakech on Tuesday, 6 October, together with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The meeting will explain how local manufacturers can qualify to work with Lockheed Martin and give them a chance to discuss possible manufacturing contracts.
The event comes one day before the Marrakech Air Show, which runs from 7 to 10 October. Lockheed Martin is a platinum sponsor of the show.
Steve Sheehy, vice-president for international business at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the company had worked with Morocco for more than 50 years to meet its defence needs. The company now wants “local companies to play an increased role in its global supply chain”.
Sheehy said the Industrial Day was “a practical step toward identifying suppliers with the expertise necessary for current and future programs”. He also said sustainment partnerships “help build the skills and capacity to maintain aircraft closer to home”.
The move could give local companies a bigger role in the defence industry, beyond buying and operating American-made military equipment.
Lockheed Martin’s relationship with the Royal Moroccan Air Force goes back to 1974, when the first C-130H Hercules aircraft were delivered. Morocco later received its first F-16 Block 52 fighter jets in 2011.
The C-130 remains an important part of the relationship. A US Air Force C-130J Super Hercules will be displayed at the air show, alongside Moroccan F-16s.
Lockheed Martin will also display models of the F-35A, F-16 and C-130J Super Hercules. An F-35 cockpit simulator will be available to invited visitors during scheduled demonstrations.
The company will also showcase the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, Javelin anti-tank missile and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Models of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor and GMLRS guided rockets will also be on display.
The systems cover fighter aircraft, precision strikes, artillery and air and missile defence.
The industrial push is also linked to plans to expand aircraft maintenance in Morocco.
Maintenance Aéro Maroc (MAM) was created in 2022 through a partnership between Sabena Engineering, part of Belgium’s Orizio group, and MEDZ, a subsidiary of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion.
The partners began work in October 2025 on an 8,000-square-metre maintenance hangar in Benslimane. The facility will initially focus on heavy maintenance and modernisation of C-130 Hercules aircraft. The partners plan to expand its work to other aircraft, including the F-16.
The project is also intended to train Moroccan technicians and help turn the country into a regional centre for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, known as MRO.
The aerospace sector already has more than 140 companies, including Safran and Bombardier. The sector is moving towards more local production, engineering and sourcing of aircraft components, with plans for aircraft engine production targeted for 2027-2028.
Lockheed Martin’s supplier event adds another part to that strategy. It gives local manufacturers a chance to qualify for work in a global defence supply chain while helping the company find suppliers for its current and future programmes.
The relationship between Lockheed Martin and the Royal Moroccan Air Force is therefore moving beyond aircraft sales. It is increasingly focused on maintenance, training, manufacturing and local supply-chain work.
