US Boosts Morocco’s Naval Capabilities with Two Interceptor Boats Donation

Lieutenant Colonel Teremuura Shamel, Head of the Security Cooperation Office at the US Embassy in Morocco, said that the ceremony to receive the two boats at the port of Agadir "constitutes a new stage in the solid security partnership" linking the two countries, "focused on maintaining regional peace and stability", reports the MAP. "Our two navies share a long history of collaboration aimed at securing the high seas, particularly the 13 kilometers of the Strait of Gibraltar, against crime, terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking. These challenges transcend international borders, hence the need for collaboration to effectively combat them," he added.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Morocco specified that these two boats, worth $970,000, aim to strengthen the Royal Moroccan Navy’s capacity to put an end to illicit trafficking in regional waters, and are part of the broader military partnership between Morocco and the United States. It also stated that senior officials of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and their American counterparts met at the Headquarters of the Southern Zone, to discuss the preparations for the African Lion 2022 (AL22) exercise, which will take place throughout the kingdom during the second half of June. Steps of the exercise will also take place in Tunisia, Senegal and Ghana, it added.

"AL22 is the largest joint multinational exercise in the AFRICOM area of responsibility," said Lieutenant Colonel Shamel.