Latest update, written in olive: 26-04-10

       Credit:  Roundels of the world
Roundel                        Fin flash

BASES                                                                           PROCUREMENT
   
  Morocco received shortly after its independence 12
  Mikoyan-Gurevitch MiG-17 and 2 MiG-15UTI from the
  Soviet Union to equip its only fighter Squadron; these
  were grounded in 1963 following a border conflict with
  Algeria and Soviet Union's preferencefor Algeria as an
  allied, supplying MiG-17, MiG-21 fighters and Il-28
  bombers.
  The USA were contacted in order to obtain new fighters;
  on 26-01-66 an arrangement was approved for 8 MAP
  supplied F-5A (USD 5m) and 2 F-5A, 2 F-5B and support
  equipment supplied under credit (USD 6m) to equip Borak
  Squadron based at Meknès-Kénitra AB. 
First 6 of 15 pilots completed their conversion at Williams AFB in in May 1966; handover in USA of the first 2 single-  and 2 double-seaters took place on 27-10-66; AIM-9B Sidewinders were also supplied. A USAF Military Assistance and Advisory Group was also stationed at Meknès.

Delivery was originally planned to be completed in 1966, but by mid 1967 only the first four aircrafts had been received. Additional to the first lot of 12 aircrafts, 6 new Northrop F-5A, 1 former USAF F-5A, 2 RF-5A reconnaissance aircrafts and 2 additional Northrop F-5B followed till 1971.  Iran also supplied an unknown number of Northrop F-5A, varying according the source between 2 (serials known) and at least 6, when it re-equipped with Northrop F-5E.

Northrop F-5A-30 21246 stored in USA before handing over to Morocco.
                                                                      Photo:Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

Initial aircrafts were in natural metal colours kept till ca 1973, followed by late deliveries in camouflaged colours.

               
                Northrop F-5A-45 97109 seen in USA on 10-06-70, before delivery        Photo: Frank MacSorley

On 16-08-72 an event took place that was to influence the development of F-5 operations for a long time: three armed, of the five Northrop F-5As and 1 Northrop F-5B escorting King Hassan II on its return from a visit to France, attacked the royal Boeing 727. The King was not hit and the damaged Boeing landed at Rabat where the airport was strafed by the same aircrafts; one was lost, due to fuel shortage, when the pilot tried to escape. Later that day, 4 F-5As strafed the Royal Palace, again without results. Hussan II was not hurt and a massive purge of Air Force personnel/pilots followed.

It is not clear if the Squadron of Freedom Fighters participated to the six day war in October 1973 between Egypt and Israel; some sorces state that there were not enough crew available due to the recent coup against the King, other that a flight was transferred to Egypt but participated only to air patrols behind the war lines.

Conversion traininig of F-5A pilots took during mid-70s also place in Iran.

First loss of Freedom Fighters occurred on 17-11-76 during the Indipendence Day parade at Marrakech, when one F-5A and one F-5B collided in flight killing three pilots.

SAHARA WAR
War in former Spanish Sahara broke in 1974 out, when Spain was ready to leave its colony. Morocco occupied two thirds (Northernregion) and Mauritania one third (Southern region, around Dakhla) of the country; local Polisario Liberation Front, with the help of Algeria, continued its fight for independence after having started fighting against Spain since May 1973.

  Fouga Magisters (based at Laayoune) and North American T-6
  (based at Ad Dhakla) were initially used for ground forces support,
  but these were insufficent to combat the heavily armed Front
  and Northrop F-5A were used from 1976; several aircrafts
  (probably most of the Squadron) were deployed to Laayoune
  (formerly El Aiun) to shorten the enormous distance to the
  operation field;  initial Moroccan main objective was to create
  a controlled/safe area around Laayoune, Smara and the phos-
  phate field of Bu Craa.
  Freedom Fighter bore the brunt of the aerial combat, flying
  numerous strikes against Polisario targets.
  The Mauritanian Army, relatively poorly equipped, needed help;
  three F-5As were also based at Nouadhibou (Mauritania) to
  support it. Other airfields, Nouakchott and Atar, were expanded
  to accomodate Moroccan F-5s and Mirage F.1 beginning 1978.
  Battle area size increased considerably in July 1978, when
Mauritania arranged a ceasefire and Morocco occupied its former   Western Sahara area; Mauritania stationed Moroccan troops were withdrawn when a peace agreement was signed in August 1979,  when (most probably) F-5s were also withdrawn.

An offer for 20 Northrop F-5E and 4 F-5F Tiger was requested in 1975 by the Moroccan governement to strengthen the ground-attack/air defence capability and a Letter of Offer of USD 120m was submitted by the USA in March 1976; this included training, support equipment and spares, all to be paid by Foreign Military Sales credits. Deliveries could have started in 1977. The offer was not taken-up, as was a second Letter of Offer in 1976. Morocco requested at this point the supply of Tigers under the US Military Assistance Plan, which was denied.

Northrop F-5F 91944 in USA before delivery, May 1980
                                                                    Photo: Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

An order was placed in 1975 for 30 Dassault Mirage F1.CH (interceptors with ground attack capability), followed by additional 14 Mirrage F.1EH and 6 Mirage F.1EH-2000 (fighter-bombers). Deliveries started in February 1978, ending in 1980; these aircrafts became the main ground attack aircrafts.

Polisario introduced in its arsenal the SA-7 Strela short-range, shoulder mounted, surface-to-air missile in 1976 to contrast Moroccan fighter-bombers, succeeding in shooting down one F-5 already on 21-01-76. During 1977 and 1978 Freedom Fighters were used in a limited extent; they flew only an average of 100 hours a month.
On 12-12-78 Moroccan AF F-5As and North American T-6s attacked an Polisario column heading to attack the Mauritanian railway line.

Spare parts were procured from the USA in 1979, USD 2.4m for the Northrop F-5 and Lockheed C-130 fleet and ammunition for USD 3.0m, including bombs and rockets. The war became very intensive during the July 1979 to December 1981 period with increased intervention of the  fighter-bombers, even with 500 lbs bombs, while Polisario anti-aircraft artillery was strengthened with ZPU-23-4 self propelled cannons and SA-9 short-range missiles.

Finally, with the help of Saudi Arabia, 16 Northop F-5E an 4 Northrop F-5F were ordered late 1979 at a cost of ca USD 170m; this was part of a USD 253m package which included 6 North American OV-10A and 24 Hughes 500MD.
In flight delivery via Canada, Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom of the first 10 F-5E and 4 F-5F started in January and was completed by August 1981. The remaining 6 Northrop F-5E, the first built aircrafts and in-flight refuelling probe equipped, followed in January 1983.

Acquisition of 381 AGM-65B Maverick ground-attack missiles, for use by both the F-5 and Mirage F.1, was decided in order to avoid to be exposed to anti-aircrafts guns and missiles; a contract was signed in April 1982. For air-to-air combat AIM-9B Sidewinders had been originally purchased, followed later by more advanced AIM-9D and AIM-9J versions.

  Aero Maroc Industrie was esta-
  blished 10-81 at Casablanca to
  support, overhaul, modify and
  repair Moroccan military aircrafts,
  including FreedomFighters and
  Tigers.
  To help alleviate the F-5 short range
  problem, insufficent to operate deep
  into the desert,Aero Maroc Industrie
  fitted a Northrop F-5B ca 1982 with
  an in-flight refuelling probe as a pro-
  totype installation for operational
  trials with a newly bought Boeing
  B.707-138B fitted with Beech hose
  units at the wingtips for refuelling of
  Northrop F-5E; 2 Lockheed KC-130H
  were also delivered beginning 1982.
Photo: unknown

The Hares photo reconnaissance pod for Mirage F.1s and F-5Es was also produced by Aero Maroc Industrie.

The unnoticed introduction in 1981 by Polisario of the SA-6 Gainful medium range, high altitude anti-aircrafts missiles was an enormous shock to the Moroccan AF. It led to the loss on 13-11-81 of one F-5A, 2 Mirage F.1 and 1 C-130 near Guelta Zemmour and to the reduction of operation for these fighters, leaving the Army for with little air support and reconnaissance a short period.

An US study (published in October 1986) states that Moroccan pilots were not trained to fly in an SA-6 environment; their F-5s had neither Radar Warning Receivers nor chaff and flare dispensers to protect against the missiles. A three-men USAF team went for 60 days to Meknès to train pilots on low-level, high-speed flying; 10 ALQ-119 ECM pod and 10 ALE-38 chaff and flare dispensers were offered at a cost of between USD 20m and USD 40m on a cash, non-renewable lease basis, which was not accepted due to the high cost and the limited time availability of the pods.
Two Dassault Falcon 20 and 1 Falcon 50 were modified with Electronic Counter Measures (jamming) equipment to partially make good lack of ECM equipment on Moroccan fighters.
According to the study, Morocco had only 8 F-5A and B Freedom Fighters and 13 F-5E and F-5F Tiger available, with 6 additional Tigers (Radar Warning Receiver equipped) to be delivered; these aircrafts were rarely used in the war area (the Freedom Fighters even rarely flown) as they lacked essential RWR equipment. There were 12 F-5A/B and only 6 F-5E/F qualified pilots as the best ones had been transferred to the Mirage F.1 units.

Finally, on 11-08-88 Morocco and Polisario agreed upon a UN cease fire plan but it went in effect only in 1991, though war actions slowed down during this period.

War Losses:  Dates written in blue are claimed by Polisario

F-5A
18-02-78 over Aguerguer,  08-06-78 (two), 10-09-78 North of Smara by SA-7 missile, 10-02-79 serial 669120, 27-12-80, 13-11-81 during the battle for Guelta Zemmour.
F-5E
12-01-85 by SA-6 near Algerian border, 21-08-87, -09-91 near Tifariti serial 91921.

  Just visible behing the wreck of a Mirage F.1
  is the tail of F-5A-30 serial 669120.
  Polisario museum - Tindouf (Algeria) 1996.

  Photo: G. Gaiani

Tail of F-5E 91921 with white coloured RWR -
Polisario museum Tindouf (Algeria) 1996.

                                            Photo: G. Gaiani

AFTER THE WAR

Overhauls, modifications, upgrades
The 1990's were used to overhaul, modify, upgrade and to top-up the remaining fighters . Unfortunately no detailed official information  is available.

Ten Northrop F-5Es, formerly operated by USAF's disbanded 527th Squadron for dissimilar training in Europe, were bought to make good losses. Deliveries from Kemble AB (UK) started on 19-10-89, being completed on 08-04-92. These aircrafts had been heavily used and had limited avionics equipment; they maintained their original colours initially.

Northrop F-5E 01543 at Meknes in July 1990 in USAF camouflage, in the background a Freedom
Fighter in silver colours!                                    Photo: Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

                   
                 Northrop F-5E 1553 in aggressor camouflage in 1991.
                                                                                      Photo: Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

Planned partial replacement of the Tigers in 1991 with 12 former US Air National Guard General Dynamics F-16A and F-16B, again financed by Saudi Arabia, was not realised due to Saudi funds shortage after the first Gulf War.

Improvements to Freedom Fighters were realised with the installation of Northrop F-5E avionics on the remaining aircrafts (probably 8 F-5A 2 RF-5A, 2 F-5B); a contract was stipulated with the French company Sogerma at Bordeaux (France) and protoype installations were carried out on an Northrop F-5B, re-delivered in October 1997, and one Northrop F-5A, re-delivered in February 1998. Five Northrop F-5A had been modified in Morocco by April 1998.

Upgrade prototype Northrop F-5A-45 97093 at Bordeaux in February 1998,
                                                                    Photo: Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

Modification of the remaining Northrop F-5E/F was also foreseen; negotiations were held with IAI of Israel around 1996 without follow up. Ugrading with RWR, improved radar (probably an FIAR Grifo F/X Plus), navigation, heads-up display and several other equipment was anyhow carried out, though there is no official information, possibly prototype conversion by SOGERMA and other conversions at Casablanca; both original Moroccan and some former USAF obtained these modifications. Elettronica ELT/555 active Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pods were purchased in Italy; additionally Northrop Grumman Litenining designator pods have been purchased. All this gave an enormous improvement over the original Northrop F-5E/F-5Fs; new local designation seems to be F-5E III.

         Photo: BNAF
          Northrop F-5E 91940 equipped with Elettronica ELT/555 ECM pod photographed in flight.

           

Training / Exercises
The Air Force command was well aware or the importance of dissimilar training, with other Air Forces, for Moroccan Northrop F-5 and Mirage F.1 pilots; this particularly in view of the re-equipment of the Algerian AF with high performance fighters/bombers (MiG-23, MiG-29, MiG-25). An important number of execises/exchanges was organised, both in Morocco and abroad, even while the war was going on.

A good occasion was when the US carrier Carl Vinson passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 26-03-83; Northrop F-5s and Dassault Mirage F.1 flew simulated strikes against it while their US Navy colleagues attacked Moroccan airfields, all this under the name of exercise AdEx 1-83.

Two Northrop F-5B of the Spanish Escuela de Reactores came to Morocco during 1984, starting the Spain/Morocco exchange known under the name "Atlas" exercice, alternating yearly (later two-years) fighter deployments to Talaver la Real, Albacete AB (Spain) and Sidi Slimane AB/Meknès AB.

Collaboration with the USAF started in 1986, when the 525th Fighter Squadron, USAF, with its McDonnel F-15C was based at Sidi Slimane AA between 12th and 22nd November, followed with a similar exercise in 1987.

First known deployment of Moroccan abroad was the visit to Beja AB (Portugal) of 1 Northrop F-5E and 1 F-5F during March 1997 to exercise with local Alpha Jets. This visit was followed in June 2006 by another one by at least two Northrop F-5E.
Another known visit was in March 2000 to Talavera la Real (Spain) by 3 Northrop F-5E and 1 F-5F.

Six USAF General Dynamics F-16C, of the Aviano AFB (Italy) based 555th Fighter Squadron, arrived at Sidi Slimane AB on 01-02-01, the exercise lasting one month.

BA Sidi Slimane and BA Meknes hosted during the years 1999 and 2001 Belgian AF General Dynamics F-16A and 2003 French Mirage 2000. It is not known if these participated to dissimilar combat exercises with local F-5Es or just trained in very low level flying techniques.

Two Northrop F-5E and 2 F-5F, with their Elettronica ELT/555 pod were hosted at Colmar AB (France) in June 2002, probably to test their recent avionics/ECM upgrade.

         
          Northrop F-5E 91936 landing at Colmar AB in June 2002 without ECM pods and air-refuelling probe.
                                                                                                                 Photo: E Bannwarth

Exercise "Navimaes 06" saw the transfer to Talavera AB (Spain) of 4 Northrop F-5 for exercising with the Spanish 23 Ala's CASA/Northrop F-5B+ between July 24th and 28th, 2006.

The year 2007 saw in June the participation to the "African Lion" exercise of US Marines Lockheed KC-130T for F-5s in-flight refuelling training; 2 US Marines VMFT-401 F-5N instructors, based at Méknes AB from September 10th till September 21st followed, refreshing/teaching Moroccan instructors air-to-air refuelling. This speciality had been neglected for the last 20 years (the B.707 was sold and the probes on the few F-5s were removed).

The 2008 edition of the joint Spanish/Moroccan  "Atlas" exercise started on May 26th, ending on May 30th; two Northrop F-5E III and two F-5F III went to Talavera la Real, their pilots coming from both Squadrons Chahine and Borak. These aircrafts operated with and against CASA/Northrop F-5M, Dassault Mirage F.1 and McDonnell EF-18. 

The year 2009 saw another edition of the "African Lion" exercise with the participation, between 22nd and 28th May 2009, of US Marines VMGR-234 Lockheed KC-130Ts based at Kenitra AB, in-flight refuelling Moroccan F-5Es.

Known losses:  1 F-5E on 13-07-95 near Meknes

Replacement
The choice of a successor to the Tiger was announced in June 2008 after a long struggle between the Dassault Rafale and the Lockheed-Martin F-16C/D Block 52; this last won the order for 24 aircrafts, to be received starting from 2011. Former Tiger pilots started training at Tucson International Airport. The F-16s are going to equip a new Escadron according to uncorfirmed report, though it seems rather unprobable.