INS Tushil strengthens India-Morocco maritime ties with port call in Casablanca

Indian warship INS Tushil, on its maiden operational deployment, made a port call at Casablanca, Morocco, on December 27.

The visit marked an important step in strengthening maritime and diplomatic ties between India and Morocco, the Ministry of Defence stated.

According to the MoD, the visit aims to explore further avenues for collaboration between the two navies. Over the past 12 months, three Indian Navy ships–Tabar, Tarkash, and Sumedha–have visited Casablanca, significantly enhancing mutual trust and interoperability.

During this two-day visit, the crew of INS Tushil will engage with the Royal Moroccan Navy personnel at a functional level, host senior officials and other distinguished guests, and further naval cooperation, diplomatic ties, and goodwill. Following this, both navies will participate in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) at sea to improve interoperability and share best practices, as per the Ministry’s press release.

Details of INS Tushil’s port call in Morocco were also shared on X by the spokesperson of the Indian Navy: “#INSTushil on her maiden operational deployment enroute to #India, made a port call at Casablanca, Morocco on #27Dec 24 and received a warm welcome by the #RoyalMoroccanNavy. Cross-deck visits, professional exchanges & friendly sports fixtures in harbour followed by joint exercises at sea planned with the host Navy. India-Morocco #BridgesofFriendship”

INS Tushil was commissioned on December 9, 2024, in Russia and is commanded by Captain Peter Varghese, supported by a dedicated team of 250 personnel. As the frigate continues its journey to its home port in Karwar, it will participate in collaborative exercises with friendly foreign navies, further promoting India’s maritime diplomacy in the region, the Ministry noted.

The visit by INS Tushil underlines efforts to further strengthen India-Morocco ties. Morocco, a maritime nation, holds a unique geographical position with coastlines along both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, similar to India’s strategic maritime positioning.