TSAMTO, November 26. The Moroccan Air Force is considering the possibility of purchasing 36 new multi-purpose helicopters as part of a project to replace the catastrophically outdated fleet of existing rotorcraft.
As reported by Defensa.com with reference to unnamed sources, the priority candidate is the American company Bell Textron Inc., which offers to supply 24 Bell-412epi helicopters under a basic contract with an option for another 12 machines.
New multi-purpose helicopters are planned to replace such platforms as Bell-205, Bell-206 and Bell-212, which will soon be decommissioned. In fact, most of the fleet of these machines has been in a faulty condition for the past 10 years.
In the period from 1969 to 1978 . The Moroccan Armed Forces purchased 48 Bell-205, 24 Bell-206B and five Bell-212 helicopters from Agusta-Bell, which were produced under license in Italy. Due to their intensive use during the military conflict in the Sahara, which lasted for more than 15 years, most of the fleet of these machines was written off due to the wear of the fuselages. Decommissioned helicopters were used as a source of spare parts for servicing the remaining fleet. To date, less than 12 units are in good condition. Bell-205/206/212.
In the near future, the Moroccan Armed Forces will also receive two Bell-412epi helicopters in an anti-submarine version, which will enter service with the country's Navy. The helicopters are in the final stages of final acceptance tests in the United States before they are put into operation in Morocco next year. The vehicles will be equipped with Leonardo Osprey 30 ISR AESA radar systems and long-range sonar with L3 Harris detection system, and will also be armed with torpedoes.
