Morocco–France: “Chebec 25,” a naval exercise strengthening a strategic partnership in full evolution

After several weeks of intensive training, the Moroccan and French navies have completed the 2025 edition of the “Chebec” naval exercise, an annual event now firmly rooted in the strategic cooperation between both countries. Held in November, this 32nd iteration combined navigation through sensitive areas, crisis simulations, and tactical scenarios designed to test crews’ reflexes under near-real conditions.

At the beginning of the month, the first teams gathered at the Toulon facilities and the Hyères naval air base for an extensive theoretical phase focused on sharing operational doctrines. These sessions helped refine common procedures even before deploying at sea—an essential prerequisite for two forces aiming to operate as a single naval group in tense regions.

The transition to open waters marked a turning point. The Moroccan frigate Mohammed VI and its French counterpart La Fayette left the Provençal coast bound for Tangier, conducting complex maneuvers, interception operations and anti-submarine warfare drills. The involvement of a French nuclear-powered attack submarine added an extra layer of technical challenge, pushing crews to continuously adapt their detection and response strategies.

Upon docking in northern Morocco, both navies launched a more analytical phase of the operation. Debriefings, cross-evaluations and methodological exchanges fueled in-depth work on interoperability, with particular emphasis on command chains and crisis management. This stage, often less visible, is nonetheless crucial for turning a one-off exercise into a genuine joint progression.

The final sequence, conducted from November 20 to 22, concluded Chebec 25 with a series of joint patrols in the Strait of Gibraltar. Maritime surveillance, coordination in scenarios involving suspicious traffic, damage control and fire-incident management shaped these missions.

Integrated into a broader annual program, which also includes the land exercise “Chergui 2025” and a security action plan signed in June, Chebec 25 underscores Rabat and Paris’s determination to deepen an already robust military partnership while strengthening Morocco’s naval posture in a strategic region.