Three AH-64Es in the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s livery were spotted flying in the United States as Morocco prepares for the delivery of the type, which would be the country’s first dedicated attack helicopter.
Images of three of Royal Moroccan Air Force (FARM, Force Aérienne Royale Marocaine) Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters in the service’s markings emerged between Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, 2025, leading to reports that Boeing has began the process of delivering the aircraft to Rabbat. Two of the airframes can be identified with tail numbers 2403, 2404, while the other is unknown.
Reddit user @AlanHoliday first shared two images of the helicopters spotted at distance, saying the aircraft were parked at Midland/Odessa Air Terminal, Texas. Later, Reddit user @Less-Hawk-4723 posted two more photos, this time captured up close, at the same location. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces also posted two of the images on X, saying the “world’s most powerful attack helicopter is being delivered to Morocco.”
A timeline for the delivery has not been released, although some comments with the photo reported rumors of the arrival in Morocco expected around Feb. 27 or Feb. 28. The rumors might be not much far off the real date, as it appears that the helicopters are being flown to the East coast to be moved to Morocco by ship.
First photos of the Moroccan Air Force AH-64E
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Morocco has been up-arming
This development follows an earlier plan by Rabbat to acquire 24 AH-64E Apache Guardians from Boeing. Rabbat presumably sought an additional 12 Apaches, bringing the total to 36 helicopters for an estimated $4.25 billion, based on a Nov. 20, 2019 DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) notification.
The DSCA notification however specified that the additional 12 helicopters were “optional”, and thus it remains to be seen if the country exercises that clause in the future. Military Africa added that Morocco also upgraded the Khouribga base with new infrastructure to handle the new Apaches.
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On Nov. 13, 2023, Boeing reported commencing the production of Moroccan Apaches at Mesa, Arizona. At the time, it was reported that the beginning of the deliveries was expected in 2024.
The acquisition of the AH-64E is also the first time that the FARM would use a dedicated attack helicopter. The service currently operates a small fleet of 23 SA342 Aérospatiale Gazelles for scout and anti-armour role, 47 Bell 205 utility helicopters, five Bell 206s, 26 SA330 Puma utility/transport helicopters and 16 CH-47 Chinooks. The appearance of Moroccan AH-64Es also follows a Jan. 20, 2025 fact sheet released by the U.S. State Department giving an overview of U.S.-Morocco security cooperation.
Calling the country the largest purchaser of U.S. military equipment in Africa, the report said Rabbat has $8.45 billion worth of active government-to-government sales, the biggest being 25 F-16C/D Block 72 aircraft. These will replace older Mirage F1s and Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs and augment the F-16C/Ds received from 2011.
Other platforms include M142 HIMARS, 40 AGM-154C JSOWs (Joint Stand-Off Weapon) and 20 AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder missiles, among others. “Since 2013, Morocco has received equipment worth $478 million under DoD’s EDA program. This includes 222 M1A1 Abrams tanks, two C-130H aircraft, and 600 M113A3 Armored Personnel Carriers,” the report added.
Moroccan AH-64Es
The AH-64E Apache Guardian is the new designation given to the AH-64D Block III in Jan. 2013, differentiated with the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System and the ability to control UAVs.
As per the DSCA, Moroccan AH-64Es were acquired with 551 AGM-114R and 60 AGM-114L Hellfire air-to-ground missiles; 72 M36E9 Hellfire Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); 558 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided missile kits; 78 Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation; 39 each of AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS), AN/APR-39D(V)2 radar warning receiver and AN/AVR-2B laser detecting sets; 200 AIM-92H Stinger missiles; 81 M261 rocket launchers; 78 M299 missile launchers; 5,216 2.75 inch rockets; and 93,000 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.
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Other systems include avionics like radar altimeters, instrument landing systems, secure voice radios, helmets, simulators; training devices, spares, components, maintenance and test equipment and technical manuals and documentation. Morocco will receive the standard General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, of which 72 would be installed on the helicopters and six would be spares.
2024 will be an interesting year for #Moroccan #Army, particularly in #Morocco–#USA military & industrial cooperation.
Starting this year we will receive the first AH-64E #Apache,as well as the first #F16 Block 72 Viper, without forgetting the first M1A2M #Abrams tanks🔥 pic.twitter.com/6ZU7ytLtId
— ۞ Kingdom of Morocco Armies-جيوش المملكة المغربية (@KOMARMIES) November 14, 2023
Also included are 21 Manned-Unmanned Teaming-2 (MUMT-2) video receivers and 39 MUMT-2 air-air-ground kits. When it was first introduced, the U.S. Army described MUMT-2 as a fully compliant Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL), which “provides the Apache an integrated system within the Apache systems architecture” and “enhanced capability of transmitting both Apache and UAS video to the Soldiers on the ground as well as ship-to-ship.”
Other countries using the AH-64E are the U.S. and the U.K., whose ‘E’ variants are specifically the Version 6. The RNLAF’s (Royal Netherlands Air Force) AH-64D Apaches are also being upgraded to the AH-64E v6 standard. Morocco is the 17th user of the AH-64 Apache helicopter globally.
Thank you, Kingdom of Morocco, for your order of 24 new #AH64-E Apaches. Morocco is the 17th nation to acquire this advanced combat helicopter.
RELEASE: https://t.co/ViVX6wXyoG pic.twitter.com/lO4WB9XiT5
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) June 25, 2020
It is not known if the Moroccan AH-64Es would receive the Gen. 3 MCP-2 chip developed by Intel’s Altera on its APR-48B RWR/RFI (Radar Warning Receiver/Radar Frequency Interferometer), that Lockheed Martin was contracted in Oct. 2024 to retrospectively upgrade all of the U.S. Army’s Apache fleet. Lockheed Martin’s statement at the time did not mention other AH-64E operators, including the Netherlands and the British Army.
