The Royal Moroccan Navy and its Indian counterpart carried out military, cultural, and sports activities between August 6 and 9, as part of efforts to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries. The stealth frigate INS Tamal, one of the newest additions to the Indian Navy’s fleet, docked at the Port of Casablanca specifically for this mission.
According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, as quoted by The Tribune, this visit represents a significant step in maritime diplomacy, marking a new milestone in bilateral cooperation that has gained remarkable momentum in recent years between Rabat and New Delhi, particularly in the fields of maritime security and combating transnational threats.
The same source noted that this is the third visit by an Indian warship to Casablanca in less than two years, highlighting the evolution of security and defense collaboration between Morocco and India — cooperation that spans most military and defense sectors, not just the naval domain.
During the docking period, the INS Tamal crew took part in a series of bilateral meetings with senior Royal Navy officers, including reciprocal ship visits, friendly sports matches, yoga sessions, and cultural events celebrating the friendship between the two peoples.
Official meetings were also held with prominent Moroccan naval commanders, alongside the presence of India’s Ambassador to Morocco, Sanjay Rana, who visited the ship and praised the level of military cooperation, stressing that these activities reflect the mutual trust between the two military institutions.
According to The Tribune, the visit took place during INS Tamal’s return voyage to India after its commissioning in Russia on July 1, with stopovers at several European and Asian ports to enhance India’s presence across various maritime spaces.
The newspaper further highlighted that the key event at the end of the visit was a joint Passage Exercise (PASSEX) between INS Tamal and the Moroccan frigate Mohammed VI. This operational drill aimed to improve on-the-ground coordination and combat readiness between the two fleets, with the Indian Ministry of Defence describing the maneuver as evidence of both countries’ commitment to safeguarding the security and stability of maritime navigation.
It is worth noting that the visit and exercises between the Moroccan and Indian navies come within the framework of Morocco’s efforts to expand its defense partnerships beyond its traditional European and American allies, opening up to rising powers in Asia — including India, which in turn seeks to strengthen its presence in the western Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.
In this context, Morocco and India have made significant strides in recent years in defense cooperation, with both countries signing several important strategic agreements, such as attracting Indian defense investments to Morocco and Rabat’s procurement of various military equipment from New Delhi.
