The Royal Moroccan Navy of Morocco () is a branch of the military of Morocco responsible for conducting

naval A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operatio ...

operations. The Royal Moroccan Navy is administratively managed by the Administration of Defence, which is (''de facto'') commanded by King Mohammed VI, the commander-in-chief of the Moroccan Armed Forces.

Mission

The Royal Moroccan Navy is part of the Moroccan Armed Forces. Its mission includes the protection of Moroccan territory and sovereignty, as well as the control of Morocco's 81,000-square-

nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude at t ...

Exclusive Economic Zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

. Given Morocco's significant coastline (2,952 km) and strategic position overseeing the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...

, it (along with

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

) is deeply involved in the security of this important international waterway.

History

The history of the modern Royal Moroccan Navy began in 1960 with its foundation by King Mohammed V. The first admiral of the modern Moroccan Navy was Vice Admiral Mohammed Triki, who held the position as the Commander in Chief of the Royal Moroccan Navy for 14 years from 1991 to 2005, and devoted 46 years of services to the Moroccan Navy. Vice Admiral Triki was awarded these decorations: (from Morocco) Legion of the Order of Commander, Knight of the Order of the Throne by his majesty King Hassan II; (from France) Legion of Honor by President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...

; (from USA) Legion of Merit by President Bill Clinton; and (from Spain) Legion of Merit. Although the modern Royal Navy was structured following independence, the Moroccan naval military traces its roots back to the 11th century, with the rise of the

Almoravid dynasty The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

, and its ambition for naval hegemony in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Abdullah Ben Meimoun is credited for being the first commander of the Almoravid dynasty organized naval forces. With the Almohad dynasty taking over most of northern Africa, together with

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

, the Almohad dynasty navy soon became the "first fleet of the Mediterranean". At its peak, the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

navy's military reputation was well known, inciting

Ayyubid dynasty The Ayyubid dynasty (), also known as the Ayyubid Sultanate, was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egyp ...

Egypt and

Saladin Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from a Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria. An important figure of the Third Crusade, h ...

to seek its help in preventing

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

expeditions. The 16th century had the starting decline of the Moroccan state and consequently the navy that served it. The capture of major coastal cities and locations by

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

significantly affected

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

's naval capabilities.

Ranks

Officers

Enlisted

Bases

The main bases of the Royal Moroccan Navy are located in: *

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

Al Hoceima Al Hoceima () is a city in the north of Morocco, on the northern edge of the Rif Mountains and on the Mediterranean coast. It is the capital city of the Al Hoceima Province. The city is a known tourist destination despite its small size. It has ...

* Dakhla *

Agadir Agadir (, ; ) is a major List of cities in Morocco, city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Sous River, Souss River flows into the ocean, and south of Casabla ...

* Ksar Sghir *

Laayoune Laayoune or El Aaiún (, Latn, ar, al-ʕuyūn , , ) is the largest city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, with a population of 271,344 in 2023. The city is the ''de jure'' capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, though it ...

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

Equipment

Warships

Amphibious and auxiliary vessels

Inshore patrol vessels

* P-32 **''El Wacil'' (203) **''El Jail'' (204) **''El Mikdam'' (205) **''El Khafir'' (206) **''El Haris'' (207) **''Essahir'' (208) **''Erraid'' (209) **''Erraced'' (210) **''El Kaced'' (211) **''Essaid'' (212) * VCSM/RPB 20 (107-116) * Rodman-101 (130-139) * Arcor-46 (D01-D18) In Service with Moroccan Customs * 15 Arcor-53 In Service with Moroccan Gendarmerie * 2 Griffon 500TD hovercraft In service with Moroccan Gendarmerie * 10 Rodman-55 * 10 Arcor-17 *** No boats of this class have been built yet. Russia has offered the sub for sale to India, but in 2005, India ordered Scorpène-class submarines instead. On 4 July 2013, Rosoboronexport announced they will offer the Amur 1650 to the Moroccan Navy if they announce a tender for new submarines.

Aircraft

Notable sailors

Ambassador Admiral Abelkader Perez 1723 1737

* Abdellah Ben Soleïman, commander of the

fleet under sultan

Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min (c. 1094–1163) (; full name: ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAlwī ibn Yaʿlā al-Kūmī Abū Muḥammad) was a prominent member of the Almohad movement. Although the Almohad movement itself was founded by Ibn Tumart, Abd al-Mu' ...

. * Abdellah Ben Taâ Allah, commander of the

fleet under Muhammad an-Nasir and governor of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

. * Abdellah Ben Aïcha, admiral of Salé, ambassador to king

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

in 1689. * Abdelkader Perez, ambassador to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1723 and again in 1737. * Corsair Triki of Salé, 17th century. * Vice Admiral Mohammed Triki of Safi, Commander in Chief of the Royal Moroccan Navy from July 1991 to June 2005.

Gallery

File:RMNS Lieutenant Colonel Errhamani (F 501).jpg, ''Lieutenant-Colonel Errahmani'' File:Moroccan frigate RMNS Lieutenant Colonel Errhamani (F 501).jpg, ''Lieutenant-Colonel Errahmani'' File:RMNS Lieutenant Colonel Errhamani F501.jpg, ''Lieutenant-Colonel Errahmani'' File:Floreal Class Frigate.JPEG, ''Mohammed V'' File:322 Raïs Al Mounastiri.JPG, OPV-64 ''Raïs Al Mounastiri'' File:Moroccan navy vessel Rais Charkaoui.jpg, OPV-64 ''Rais Charkaoui'' File:Moroccan HH-65A Dolphin helicopter. dropping a search and rescue swimmer.jpg, AS565 MA Panther of the RMN File:A boarding team member fast ropes out of a Royal Moroccan Navy Eurocopter AS565 MA Panther helicopter onto the deck of the Hellenic Navy training ship HN Aris (A-74) May 18, 2012, at the NATO Maritime 120518-N-QD416-073.jpg, Eurocopter AS565 MA Panther of the RMN File:307 Commandant Azouggarh, 2010.jpg, ''Commandant Azouggarh'' File:404 Abou Abdallah El Ayachi.JPG, LST ''Abou Abdallah El Ayachi'' File:407 Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah (ex-Bristol County, LST 1198).JPG, ''Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah'' (inactive) File:Moroccan Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO).jpg, Moroccan Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) team during multi-national exercise Phoenix Express 2007. File:Phoenix Express 2009-032.jpg, Marines from Morocco during exercise Phoenix Express 2009. File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - Moroccan sailors conduct boarding exercises..jpg, Moroccan sailors conduct boarding exercises. File:US Navy 100427-N-3289C-272 Lance Cpl. Drew Van Hook instructs a Moroccan maritime interdiction operations team on basic close quarter battle training.jpg, Moroccan maritime interdiction operations team on basic close quarter battle training in Exercise Phoenix Express 2010.

References

* {{Navies in Africa Military of Morocco

Military units and formations established in 1960 1960 establishments in Morocco