The Indian Navy and the Royal Moroccan Navy conducted an exercise off the port of Casablanca this week, with the aim of enhancing interoperability and supporting inter-coordination between the two countries.
The Indian Navy is currently carrying out an exercise as part of the 2022 long-range overseas deployment. It plays an important role for bilateral trade, India’s security as well as military diplomacy.
Before this joint maneuver with the Royal Moroccan Navy, the last exercises of this kind had taken place just before the coronavirus pandemic in Tangier.
These exercises lasted more than 7 hours and brought together the Indian naval frigate “INS Tarkash” of Russian construction, with the navy frigate “Hassan II”.
The Indian Navy’s INS Starkash has conducted joint exercises with the navies of several countries including France, Spain, Morocco and Sudan. It displaces 4,100 tonnes fully loaded and is 124.8 meters long.
The joint works aim to improve understanding of maritime security with friendly countries in the Mediterranean region, according to Indian sources.
This military training will support maritime relations between Morocco and India, in addition to a better understanding of the operating procedures of the two warships. The two countries were also able to understand the military capabilities of each of them during these joint exercises.
The Indian Navy has intensified maritime cooperation with partners with at least eight frontline warships and two auxiliaries simultaneously undertaking overseas deployments since June.
The ships include 3 Kolkata-class destroyers, 2 Shivalik-class frigates, 2 Kamorta-class corvettes and INS Talwar, the Talwar-class lead frigate. This last frigate is the one deployed for the exercises with Morocco.
India seeks to enhance military diplomacy with Morocco, in that the warship takes part in many pre-planned professional and social interactions with the Royal Navy.
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