Electronic warfare in France: Moroccan F-16s tested

Electronic warfare in France: Moroccan F‑16s put to the jamming test

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces confirmed the involvement of the Moroccan fighters in its report published on 11 October. Exercise Black Crow 26 reproduced high‑intensity conflict conditions with disrupted GPS signals, jammed radars and air‑defence systems to be evaded. The stated aim: to learn how to retain freedom of action when communications and detection instruments are neutralised.

The Royal Moroccan Air Force and the Belgian Air Component fielded their fighters alongside the French Air Force. The latter committed fighters, helicopters, drones, transport aircraft and electronic‑warfare assets. Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom supplied real or simulated surface‑to‑air defence systems to complete the opposing force.

In total, Black Crow 26 generated more than 50 missions, comprising 180 fighter sorties, 50 helicopter sorties and 15 transport sorties. These manoeuvres also served as a testbed for the Directorate General of Armaments and French defence firms. Their equipment was trialled in a deliberately degraded environment to assess its resilience against electronic jamming.

In the run‑up, four Moroccan F‑16s and around fifty personnel were deployed to Orange‑Caritat air base from 23 September to 2 October. They took part in Exercise ORYX alongside French Rafales for combat, air‑to‑air refuelling and tactical coordination missions. Two closely spaced engagements that place Moroccan crews at the heart of Western interoperability.

Share this article

Related articles

14 October 2026

Brussels wants to strengthen migration partnership with Morocco

The EU reaffirms its strategic partnership with Morocco on migration, covering prevention of illegal departures, border management, information exchange, returns and combating smugglers, following the Ceuta crisis and strengthening security cooperation.

14 October 2026

61 Moroccan “saboteurs” in Oran: what Algiers’ own photos really tell

Three jet skis at the back of the official photo, a sign about migrant smuggling, no target. And a second image, with 300-euro notes that do not exist. What the photos of the 61 Moroccans in Oran really tell.

14 October 2026

Port congestion. Habib Hjiaj: The port is a transit point, not a storage facility

Port congestion generates $100M in demurrage over five months in 2026, with wait times rising from 12 to 25 days. The cause is prolonged port storage instead of transit. The new ANP regulation requires operators to invest in storage and evacuation capacities to durably reduce the foreign exchange bill.

Related practical guides

Have a project in Morocco?

Find a LesMRE-verified expert to guide you through your steps.