Royal Moroccan Air Force kicks off first T-6C sale

By: David Donald

November 16, 2009
Aircraft

In late September the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) became the latest customer for the Hawker Beechcraft T-6 Texan II trainer and the first for the weapons-capable T-6C. The $37 million Foreign Military Sales contract covers the first installment of a planned 24-aircraft purchase that was first notified to the U.S. Congress through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in late 2007. Included in the contract are spares provision, ground support equipment and other support services. Morocco joins the U.S., Canada, Greece, Israel and Iraq in ordering the Americanized version of the Pilatus PC-9.

Morocco’s T-6Cs will feature the same FAA-certified CMC Electronics Cockpit 4000 avionics suite as the U.S. Navy’s T-6Bs, including six multifunction displays, hands-on throttle and stick controls, upfront control panel, head-up display, inertial reference unit, radar altimeter and digital recording/ data transfer system. The cockpit incorporates onboard synthetic training functions, such as no-drop bomb scoring, but the T-6C also has underwing hardpoints for live weapons training.

In RMAF service the T-6Cs will replace elderly Beech T-34 Turbo-Mentors and Cessna T-37s in the basic training role, and also download hours from the Alpha Jet advanced jet trainer fleet. Fuel requirements and overall operating costs will be significantly reduced as a result. The T-6C’s modern cockpit systems are particularly suited to training pilots destined for Morocco’s advanced F-16 fleet. The RMAF is acquiring 24 F-16C/D fighters, for which Lockheed Martin additionally received a contract to supply six AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods in September. 

Back

No KC-X Competition as Northrop Grumman Pulls Out March 09, 2010 A version of the Boeing 767 dubbed “NewGen Tanker” will win the reopened U.S. Air Force KC-X competition by default, after Northrop Grumman... [more]
A400M Understanding Reached; EADS Declares a Loss March 09, 2010 EADS will receive an extra €2 billion to continue the A400M program, as well as a loan of €1.5 billion to be repaid as a levy on future exports... [more]
Brazil picks Rafale for French ‘strategic alliance’ February 19, 2010 Brazil’s purchase of 36 new fighters has pitted the air force’s preference for the Saab Gripen, backed by a 10-month technical report, against a... [more]
IAI Reveals Tanker Proposal February 19, 2010 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proposing aerial tanker versions of business jets such as the Gulfstream G550. At the Singapore Airshow... [more]
India To Test-fly Indigenous AWACS in 2012 February 19, 2010 India will test fly, in 2012, its indigenous airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system integrated onboard a modified Embraer EMB 145, an... [more]