Moroccan Navy Acquires Oceanographic Vessel

Morocco’s Royal Navy is boosting its fleet with the aquisition of an oceanographic research and hydrographic survey vessel made in France.

Baptized “Dar El Beida,” the new vessel is meant to help Morocco protect its sovereignty and promote scientific autonomy in a research field that is gaining ground at the international level, le360.ma said.

The ship will be a boon for oceanographic research in the country, an area that falls in the realm of the Royal Navy, Morocco’s representatives in the field of hydrographic survey at the international level.

The new vessel will also help Morocco achieve its south-south cooperation goals particularly in West Africa.

Morocco has ordered another research vessel to be built by Toyota Tsusho Corporation at a cost of $44 million.

The vessel is expected to be completed in 2020 while delivery is scheduled for 2021. It will be built at the Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard in Japan.

The research vessel will be managed by Morocco’s National Institute of Fisheries Research to conduct conventional surveys, study deep-sea marine organisms and environments.