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 First Moroccan F-16 pilots to complete training with Arizona Air Guard By Air Force Maj. Gabe Johnson
                Arizona National Guard
 TUCSON, Ariz. - Next Month, the Kingdom of Morocco, a strategic partner for U.S.  forces in North Africa, will become the 25th country to own and operate F-16  Fighting Falcons. The pilots tapped to fly them are scheduled to finish  training here in time to bring them home, July 30. Four Royal  Moroccan Air Force officers, former F-5 pilots, will conclude 15 months of  rigorous instruction at the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing;  the international F-16 training unit at Tucson International Airport. They are the  first from their country to accomplish consecutive courses in basic  qualification, flight lead upgrade and instructor pilot certification in the  multi-role fighter. A handful of Air  National Guard pilots will accompany them as they deliver the first four of  Morocco’s 24-aircraft purchase. The new planes,  block 52 versions of the fighter, will be fresh off the assembly line and are a  considerable step up in technology from the third generation fighters Morocco  currently flies. “We are  modernizing our fleet and we’ve chosen the F-16, not only because it is a  high-quality airplane, but also because of the close relationship we have with  the United States, said Brig. Gen. Abdelali Houari, deputy inspector of the  Royal Moroccan Air Force,. “We are really  happy to send our pilots here to be trained. After a year and a half in the  United States our pilots are happy, of course they want to return home, but  they have gained a lot of experience here with the Arizona Air National Guard.” Air Force Lt.  Col. Steve Haase, the Morocco program manager for the 162nd, worked with the  RMAF for the last three years. He’s trained fighter pilots from all over the  world and fully understands the scope of the students’ historic accomplishment. “It’s all them,”  he said. “It’s a big commitment to be the first F-16 pilots for Morocco. It’s a  testament to their positive attitude and work ethic. They are excited about the  F-16 and its capabilities yet they understand how much work there will be to  build up an F-16 base.” As students, the  pilots averaged three sorties per week and accumulated more than 150 F-16 hours  each. Once home, they will not only be responsible for training others, but  will also be instrumental in standing up F-16 operations at Ben Guerir Air  Base. It’s a former  U.S. air base located about 36 miles north of Marrakech and once served as a  transatlantic abort landing site for the space shuttle. It’s currently  undergoing upgrades that, according Moroccan officials, are modeled after U.S.  Air Force bases. “These are the  best F-5 instructor pilots for their air force. They think they way we think,”  Haase said. “They have really shown that they want to learn how [U.S. fighter  pilots] operate with the F-16 so they can do it the same way – not just flying,  but everything from maintenance to logistics.” Six additional  Moroccan pilots are currently in the basic F-16 course here with graduation  planned for September. They too will return home to help manage Morocco’s  growing F-16 fleet. It's unclear if  more student pilots from Morocco will train in Tucson; however, according to  Haase, the 162nd stands ready. “Every country  is very different, that’s what’s so fascinating for instructor pilots here,” he  said. “We get to know these guys on a personal level and establish trust with  them. Training capable fighter pilots and fostering relationships along the way  is what this is all about.” Since 1989, the  162nd has trained with virtually every nation that flies the F-16. In addition  to Morocco, the wing currently trains with pilots from Singapore, Norway,  Belgium, Chile, the Republic of Korea, and the Netherlands.
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