Aeronautics: Signing of Industrial Compensation Agreement with American Company Boeing

Pursuant to the Very High Royal Instructions for the organization of the signing ceremony of the industrial compensation agreement concluded with the American company Boeing, Abdeltif Loudyi, minister delegate to the Head of government, in charge of the National Defense Administration, presided over the said ceremony, Wednesday at the headquarters of this Administration, and this, in the presence of Lieutenant General, Inspector General of FAR and Commander of the South Zone, Lieutenant General, Commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, and other senior officials of FAR General Staff as well as representatives of the Embassy of the United States of America in Rabat. The National Defense Administration says in a statement that the signing of this industrial compensation agreement, which is part of the extension of the acquisition program of Apache helicopters, further illustrates the Royal Vision aimed at modernizing and strengthening the operational capabilities of FAR as well as the emergence of a defense industry sector in Morocco. This agreement provides for strengthening the autonomy of the Royal Air Force in terms of metrology, manufacturing and composite repair of various spare parts and superstructures, according to the most advanced aeronautical standards, says the statement. Also, it reflects the willingness of the parties to strengthen the existing partnership between Morocco and the American company Boeing through the implementation of joint strategic projects while promoting the emergence of a Defense Industrial and Technological Base in the Kingdom. The agreement also strengthens cooperation in the field of research and development and technology transfer through the qualification of Moroccan engineering offices to international standards in the aerospace sector as well as the realization, in partnership with the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University of Ben Guerir, of a research center for advanced additive manufacturing 4.0. Also, and as an extension of the industrial memorandum of understanding, signed before His Majesty the King, on September 27, 2016, for the creation in the Kingdom of Morocco of an ecosystem of aeronautical equipment, the compensation agreement, concluded today, provides for the realization by the Boeing Company from qualified local manufacturers of a volume of sourcing of spare parts of US$ 150 million, contributing to the creation of jobs in Morocco and the economic revival of the national aeronautics sector, adds the statement. At the end of this ceremony, the members of the American delegation expressed their admiration for the level of very impressive economic and social development achieved by the Kingdom under the leadership of His Majesty the King, making Morocco a dynamic and competitive partner, concludes the statement.