Moroccan Warship Joins French Naval Drills Featuring Rafales and Mirages
The Tarik Ben Ziyad took part in five days of training off Toulon with the French Navy. Rafale and Mirage 2000 aircraft were deployed for an air defense exercise as part of a program combining naval and air operations.
Having arrived in Toulon on September 11 for the Franco-Moroccan Chebec exercise, the Royal Navy vessel also took part in Gabian from September 21 to 25. Mer et Marine details its participation, in an article published on October 1, in the training exercise for French units based at the port in the Var region.
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For one day, crews focused on defending against aerial threats. Mirage 2000s, Air Force Rafales and Navy Rafales were deployed to recreate conditions similar to those encountered in operations, the French Navy said.
The air defense frigate Chevalier Paul was in charge of the exercise as a whole. Joining it were the replenishment ship Jacques Stosskopf, the frigate Guépratte and the mine warfare diving support vessel Pluton, with a program tailored to the Moroccan ship’s training needs.
Day and night maneuvers
Beyond air defense, the five days featured a series of scenarios involving combat against ships and submarines, assistance exercises and vessel boarding operations. Replenishments at sea took place day and night, including simulated threat scenarios.
The demanding schedule also involved helicopters. Aircraft embarked on the French frigates and the Tarik Ben Ziyad took part in training sessions, joined by assets from the Hyères naval air base.
The Moroccan ship has its own helicopter hangar. Delivered in 2011 by Dutch shipbuilder Damen, the 105-meter vessel is the largest of the three SIGMA-class ships acquired by Morocco. Its Exocet anti-ship missiles, Mica anti-aircraft missiles and torpedoes enable it to operate across the different areas covered during Gabian.
