Spain’s “Méndez Núñez” frigate (SNMG2 Flagship) and Morocco’s “Tarik Ben Ziyad,” a Royal Moroccan Navy frigate, carried out a Passage Exercise over the course of the last few days in the Mediterranean Sea, the Commander of the SNMG2 Flagship tweeted recently.
https://twitter.com/COM_SNMG2/status/1702363222865543510
The two escort ships cooperated by sharing normal operating procedures at sea as part of Morocco and NATO’s ongoing efforts to develop their capabilities to work together.
The Tarik Ben Ziyad, the largest of the three types of SIGMA vessel produced by Dutch Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach), is the backbone of the Morocco’s sea combat naval force, due to its constant deployment, according to “Defensa,” a website focused on the defense sector for Spanish-speaking world markets.
The ship is designated as type 10513 (105 meters long and 13 meters broad).
Morocco also deploys its “little sisters,” the “Sultan Moulay Ismail” and the “Allal Ben Abdellah,” both type 9813, which are shorter but with the same breadth, according to the website.
The three state of the art SIGMA vessels, delivered to Morocco in 2011 and 2012, make Morocco’s Navy one of the most modern in Africa. Their Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW), Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW), and air defense capabilities allow interoperability with advanced forces such as the United States Navy.
Thanks to their ample hangar and flight deck, these escort boats may operate with aircraft such as AS565 Panther helicopters, as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (known as UAVs).
Spain’s SNMG2 Flagship is currently integrated into NATO’s maritime immediate action element known as the Very-High-Readiness Joint Task Force Maritime Unit.