US and Morocco Conduct Joint Naval Exercises to Strengthen Military Partnership

4 March 2021 – byBladi.net · 1 min read

Morocco and the United States have been participating since the beginning of this week in the lightning handshake, a bilateral maritime exercise. This maneuver, which is taking place between the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE CSG) carrier strike group, the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF), aims to celebrate the bicentennial of a lasting partnership with the kingdom, according to a statement from the US embassy in Morocco.

According to the embassy, the exercise aims to improve interoperability between partner countries in several areas of defense, including surface attacks, anti-submarine warfare, air-sea strikes, combined logistical support and maritime interdiction operations.

For Rear Admiral Scott Robertson, commander of the second carrier strike group, who welcomes the initiative, "exercises such as Lighting Handshake reinforce the foundations of our interoperability and the continued support of our long-term commitment to security in the region."

The embassy also recalls that this operation strengthens the ability of the US and Moroccan maritime forces to collaborate in order to respond to security challenges and increase stability in the region.

Category: Morocco

Keywords:

United States Defense - Armament