Curtiss-Wright Brings US Aerospace Giant to Africa for First Time
Africa · Northern
Key Facts
—The Signing. Morocco and Curtiss-Wright signed an MoU on 21 July 2026 at the Farnborough International Airshow.
—The Facility. A Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies plant will be built in Greater Casablanca for advanced aerospace component treatment.
—The First. This marks the first industrial investment on the African continent for the century-old US corporation.
—The Ecosystem. Morocco already hosts over 140 aerospace firms including Boeing, Airbus, and Safran, employing roughly 20,000 people.
—The Trajectory. Moroccan aerospace exports surged from under $100 million in 2004 to roughly $2.9 billion in 2024.
The Curtiss-Wright Morocco aerospace deal signals a new phase in the kingdom’s industrial ascent, bringing a specialised American surface-technologies giant to African soil for the first time and deepening the great-power contest over critical supply chains.
A Historic First at Farnborough
On 21 July 2026, at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, Moroccan officials and executives from Curtiss-Wright Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement paves the way for a Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies (CWST) facility in Greater Casablanca.
Ray Lopuc, Senior Vice-President at CWST, stated publicly that this is “the first time the group marks its entry into the African continent.” The century-old firm, born from the 1929 merger of companies founded by Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, carries a market capitalisation near $27 billion.
What Curtiss-Wright Brings to Casablanca
The planned facility will provide advanced surface treatments such as shot peening, laser peening, and specialised coatings. These processes are critical for extending the fatigue life of engine parts, landing gear, and structural components.
By localising this high-value step, Morocco moves further beyond low-cost assembly. The Casablanca site will serve both Moroccan-based original equipment suppliers and global customers integrating Moroccan production into their supply chains.
Morocco’s Aerospace Ecosystem: A Two-Decade Build-Out
The Curtiss-Wright Morocco aerospace announcement did not happen in a vacuum. Morocco has spent twenty years constructing one of the world’s most dynamic aeronautics clusters, now home to more than 140 firms including Airbus, Boeing, Safran, Thales, and Pratt & Whitney.
Aerospace exports tell the story in numbers. They climbed from less than 1 billion Moroccan dirhams in 2004 to 26.45 billion dirhams (roughly $2.9 billion) in 2024, a 26-fold increase. The government projects exports will approach or exceed $4 billion by 2030.
The American Industrial Footprint Deepens
Curtiss-Wright joins a growing list of US aerospace and defence names anchored in the kingdom. Boeing launched its African Center for Manufacturing Excellence (ACME) in Morocco in 2024, the first Boeing-labelled R&D centre of its kind on the continent.
Pratt & Whitney is building an engine-parts plant in Casablanca, with operations expected in 2025 and roughly 200 skilled jobs projected by 2030. Lockheed Martin, Hexcel, and Collins Aerospace have also expanded their Moroccan presence, reinforcing a dense US industrial web.
Europe’s Parallel Bet: Safran and Airbus
European giants are matching American investments euro for dollar. Safran is building an engine complex in Nouaceur for the LEAP-1A powerplant used on the Airbus A320neo, backed by investments cited between €280 million and €350 million.
Safran has also committed €280 million for a landing-gear factory near Casablanca, aiming for 500 skilled jobs and operations around 2029. Airbus reinforced its own stake by acquiring Spirit AeroSystems’ Casablanca facility in late 2025, folding it directly into the European prime’s manufacturing network.
Great-Power Competition Lands in Midparc
The Curtiss-Wright decision fits a larger pattern of great-power industrial rivalry. The United States and Europe are both using Morocco as a nearshoring platform, reducing dependence on single-country supply chains while locking in strategic partnerships on African soil.
This dynamic is a core theme of Africa: The New Scramble. Morocco’s aerospace zones in Midparc and Nouaceur are becoming a physical manifestation of the contest, where Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Curtiss-Wright sit alongside Airbus, Safran, and Thales.
Why Morocco Wins the Bid
Investors point to a combination of political stability, free trade agreements with the US and European Union, and a deliberate education policy that feeds trained engineers into aerospace clusters. Modern ports and airports cut logistics costs for time-sensitive components.
The kingdom also benefits from its distance from major regional conflicts, a factor that grows more valuable as firms diversify away from riskier hubs. For a Latin American reader, the model echoes Mexico’s aerospace rise under USMCA, but with an added trans-Mediterranean European dimension.
What to Watch Next
Precise capital-expenditure figures for the CWST project have not yet been released. Executives have indicated a multi-phase development, with the initial Casablanca operation likely to be followed by expansion to other Moroccan locations.
The broader question is whether Morocco can sustain its lead as Egypt, Tunisia, and South Africa compete for similar investments. For now, the arrival of a $27 billion American aerospace name on African soil for the first time suggests the kingdom’s bet is paying off.
Connected Coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Morocco and Curtiss-Wright agree to at Farnborough 2026?
They signed a memorandum of understanding for Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies to establish a facility in Greater Casablanca. The plant will provide advanced surface treatments for aerospace components. It represents Curtiss-Wright’s first industrial investment on the African continent.
How large is Morocco’s aerospace industry today?
More than 140 aerospace firms operate in Morocco, employing roughly 17,000 to 20,000 people directly. Aerospace exports reached about $2.9 billion in 2024, up from under $100 million two decades earlier. The government targets $4 billion in exports by 2030.
Which other US aerospace companies have invested in Morocco?
Boeing established its first African manufacturing excellence centre in Morocco in 2024. Pratt & Whitney is building an engine-parts plant in Casablanca. Lockheed Martin, Hexcel, and Collins Aerospace also maintain significant operations in the kingdom.
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