The Indian Navy and the Royal Moroccan Navy conducted exercises off the port of Casablanca this week, with the aim of enhancing interoperability and supporting coordination between the two countries.

The Indian Navy is currently conducting exercises as part of its long-term overseas deployment in 2022. These exercises play an important role for bilateral trade, India’s security and military diplomacy.

Prior to this joint maneuver with the Royal Moroccan Navy, the last such exercise was conducted just before the coronavirus pandemic in Tangier.

The exercise lasted more than 7 hours and brought together the Indian naval frigate “INS Tarkash” of Russian construction, with the naval 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 tons of full payload and is 124.8 meters long.

The cooperation aims to increase 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 each other’s military capabilities during the joint exercise.

The Indian Navy has intensified maritime cooperation with partners with at least eight frontline warships and two additional simultaneously conducting overseas deployments since June.

The ships include 3 Kolkata class destroyers, 2 Shivalik class frigates, 2 Kamorta class corvettes and INS Talwar, the main Talwar class frigate. This last frigate is the one deployed for training with Morocco.

India is seeking to enhance military diplomacy with Morocco, where the warship is taking part in many pre-planned professional and social interactions with the Royal Navy.