Morocco and France launch joint military exercise to boost aerial interoperability

The Royal Moroccan Air Force and the French Air and Space Force have launched the joint exercise Marathon 25 on Moroccan soil. The objective of the training is clear: «to enhance interoperability and mastery of aerial procedures and tactics», the French military announced on Tuesday, June 24, on X.

For the exercise, Morocco has deployed «eight F-16 fighter jets, along with Puma helicopters for transport and medical evacuation missions», according to the same source. On the French side, the deployment includes «five Rafale B jets from the 4th Fighter Wing and an A330 MRTT Phénix from the 31st Air Refueling and Strategic Transport Wing».

The training program features a live-fire campaign for the Rafale B jets, in-flight refueling of Moroccan F-16s by the Phénix tanker, and a joint exercise focused on tactics, coordination, and realistic combat scenarios.

Marathon 25 is being conducted under the banner of cooperation, knowledge sharing, and operational synergy.