Belgian aerospace group Blueberry, the American Lockheed Martin, and Morocco have signed a strategic partnership for the creation of Maintenance Aero Morocco (MAM), which will allow the development of a military-industrial and defense activity in Morocco.
Blueberry Group, through Sabca and Sabena Aerospace, which represents Belgium’s leading sustainable aerospace ecosystem, and Lockheed Martin, the world’s leading US defense and security company, will join forces with the Moroccan government to create the Moroccan joint venture.
It will give a new international impetus to Belgian and American companies and should support Morocco’s defense needs, especially for the Royal Moroccan Air Force, according to the Far-Maroc forum, which cites a Blueberry Group statement.
Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), will operate the ultra-modern maintenance center for military aircraft, which will be built in Benslimane, and is expected to create 300 technical and high-tech jobs.
In a statement, Blueberry Group CEO Stephane Burton said he was “extremely proud to start this new partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and Lockheed Martin.”
The partnership between the three will provide “high-quality sustainment services for the Moroccan Air Force and then quickly expand to other customers in the region.”
“We are very pleased to have MAM join our international maintenance solutions network, offering opportunities to develop new expertise on other platforms,” he stated.
The CEO highlighted the company’s 50 years of experience in the maintenance, repair and modernization of aircraft such as the C-130 and the F-16, which will mow be deployed on Moroccan soil.
This partnership, signed in the presence of Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of the Moroccan Government in charge of the National Defense Administration, represents the first achievement following the law that allows Morocco to develop a military-industrial and defense activity for economic ends.
The project provides for the construction of an modern maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrading center of 15,000 m² for military aircrafts and helicopters, at the Benslimane airport.
The Blueberry Group has been present in Morocco since 2012 through its subsidiary Sabca Maroc, which recently announced its investment of more than MAD 180 million, equivalent to 17 million euros, in the construction of a new 16,000 m² plant that will house the Pilatus, Airbus and Dassault aerostructures assembly line.
Great news for our country as it seeks to boost its defense abilities in a volatile region where security challenges are pervasive. This partnership will uplift our country ,and make it prominent in the region.