The French amphibious helicopter carrier “Tonnerre” arrived at Casablanca port on Saturday and will depart on September 16 heading toward the Gulf of Guinea.
The French Embassy in Morocco said this stop is “an opportunity for the French and Moroccan navies to strengthen their relations, particularly through organizing joint activities, seminars, and visits over the four-day period.”
The ship hosts the 2025 batch of the SIREN program (Regional Digital Navy Training Course), which includes one Moroccan trainer and one Moroccan trainee among 39 in the cohort from 21 countries in Africa and Southern Europe.
The program aims to develop theoretical and practical knowledge related to missions at sea, including rescue operations, pollution control, and anti-piracy efforts. It also seeks to promote regional cooperation and enhance crisis management.
Officials organized a reception ceremony aboard the ship, initiated by French Ambassador to Morocco Christophe Lecourtier and ship commander Captain Arnaud Bolelli. The ceremony featured the Royal Navy Inspector, senior officers from the Royal Navy Inspectorate, and the Deputy Commander of the Military Garrison in Casablanca.
In a statement to Morocco’s news agency (MAP), Lecourtier confirmed that “the Tonnerre helicopter carrier’s stop in Casablanca and the scheduled joint exercises with Moroccan units fall within a broad and dynamic framework of French-Moroccan military cooperation.”
🚢 🇫🇷 L’ambassadeur Christophe Lecourtier et le Capitaine de vaisseau Arnaud Bolelli ont organisé une réception à bord du PHA Tonnerre, actuellement en escale à Casablanca, en présence de dignitaires marocains et de représentants de la communauté française. pic.twitter.com/T8YXzfLKuw
— La France au Maroc 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@AmbaFranceMaroc) September 13, 2025
He referenced the joint declaration that French President Emmanuel Macron and King Mohammed VI signed during the state visit last October, which “highlighted the fundamental importance of defense issues in this partnership.”
Lecourtier noted that among the priority areas for this joint work are training and education, particularly what the SIREN Academy provides aboard the “Tonnerre” ship, as well as combating illegal fishing, sea pollution, and piracy.
For his part, Bolelli said the ship’s first stop in Morocco, where it launches a three-month mission, “reflects the strong cooperation and trust bonds that unite the two countries.”
He added that it provides “an opportunity to prepare for joint interoperability exercises before continuing the mission toward the Gulf of Guinea.”
Emmanuel Vinay, director of the SIREN Naval Academy, explained that the Academy’s training covers the main issues of state action at sea. He commended the “highly valuable” partnership with the Royal Naval School in Casablanca.
The Tonnerre amphibious helicopter carrier (PHA) is part of the Mistral-class helicopter carriers and ranks as the second-largest ship in the French Navy, after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
This multipurpose vessel accommodates several helicopters and amphibious landing craft (sea-to-shore transition), 650 personnel, a command center, and a field hospital. The ship demonstrates high interoperability efficiency.
