Strengthening Benin–France Military Cooperation: French Amphibious Assault Ship PHA Tonnerre Calls at Cotonou

Overview: A Strategic Port Call in the Gulf of Guinea

The French Navy’s amphibious assault and command ship PHA Tonnerre made a strategic port call in Cotonou, Benin, from 2 to 9 November 2025, reinforcing the bilateral defence partnership between Benin and France and contributing to regional maritime security efforts in the Gulf of Guinea.

This visit, conducted as part of Operation CORYMBE—France’s long-standing naval presence in the Gulf—represents a significant step in Franco-Beninese military cooperation, cantered on operational readiness, maritime domain awareness, and joint crisis response.

The arrival of Tonnerre was marked by an official welcome ceremony attended by Rear Admiral Fernand Ahoyo, Benin’s Maritime Prefect, French Ambassador Nadège Chouat, and EU Ambassador Sandrine Platteau, underscoring the European dimension of maritime stability initiatives in West Africa.

Operational Activities: Training, Joint Exercises, and Technical Exchanges

Over the course of the week-long visit, Beninese and French forces conducted a range of joint operational drills designed to strengthen interoperability and tactical coordination:

• Beach reconnaissance and amphibious landing exercises, simulating coastal security and troop deployment in littoral zones.
• Helicopter hoisting and deck-firefighting drills, enhancing joint response capability for maritime emergencies.
• Technical exchanges between the Beninese Logistic Academy of Ouidah and the French Navy’s logistics command, focusing on embarked operations management, supply coordination, and crisis logistics.

A dedicated training day was held for non-commissioned officer cadets from the Ouidah National School of NCOs, focusing on amphibious landing procedures, objective securing, and lagoon environment tactics—reflecting Benin’s growing emphasis on coastal defence proficiency.

Civil-Military Engagement: Public Access and Symbolic Diplomacy

During its stay, Tonnerre was opened to the public, attracting large numbers of Beninese civilians and military visitors. Guided tours showcased the vessel’s projection, command, and medical capabilities, reinforcing public awareness of France’s contribution to regional maritime stability.

This outreach complemented official meetings and cultural engagements aimed at promoting mutual understanding and defence diplomacy, aligning with France’s broader objective of renewed trust and partnership with coastal African nations.

Strategic Significance: Securing the Gulf of Guinea Corridor

The Gulf of Guinea remains one of the world’s most volatile maritime zones, affected by piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, and terrorist infiltration via coastal routes.
According to the Beninese Armed Forces General Staff, the Tonnerre visit “illustrates the shared commitment of Benin and France to a safer Gulf of Guinea through intensified cooperation against piracy, terrorism, and illicit trafficking.”

The deployment of PHA Tonnerre—France’s second-largest naval vessel after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle—demonstrates Paris’s intent to maintain an active maritime posture in the region, combining deterrence, partnership, and humanitarian capacity.

The ship’s modular architecture, which includes hospital facilities, command centers, and amphibious projection assets, makes it an ideal platform for:

• Rapid deployment of joint forces in coastal and humanitarian missions.
• Command and control of multinational operations.
• Maritime domain awareness and crisis management support for regional partners.

Defence Cooperation Framework: The CORYMBE Operation

Operation CORYMBE, established in 1990, ensures France’s permanent naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea. The operation’s objectives are to:

• Support African navies in maritime security capacity building.
• Deter and disrupt illicit maritime activities, including piracy and smuggling.
• Enable multinational coordination through exercises such as Obangame Express and NEMO.

Benin remains a central partner in this framework, benefiting from consistent training exchanges, technical support, and intelligence sharing with French naval forces.

The 2025 deployment of Tonnerre represents the culmination of 35 years of cooperation, now shifting from an assistance-based model toward a joint security architecture anchored in mutual responsibility and shared command experience.

African Security Analysis (ASA) Strategic Analysis: Evolving Maritime Power Dynamics

ASA’s regional assessment identifies the Tonnerre visit as both a symbolic reaffirmation of Franco-Beninese defence ties and a strategic manoeuvre within the evolving security landscape of the Gulf of Guinea.

Key takeaways include:

1. Strategic Deterrence and Stability:
The deployment of a high-value naval asset signals France’s enduring maritime commitment despite geopolitical shifts and competition from new partners such as Turkey, China, and Russia in West Africa.

2. Operational Interoperability Gains:
The focus on joint tactical training reflects a transition from capacity-building to operational integration, preparing Beninese forces for regional crisis response and coordinated patrols.

3. Regional Security Architecture Reinforcement:
The collaboration supports Benin’s role within the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security (YAMS), promoting shared intelligence, coordinated patrols, and integrated response mechanisms across Gulf littoral states.

4. Diplomatic Signalling:
The visible presence of EU and French diplomatic representatives underscores the link between security cooperation and political engagement, as Europe seeks to counterbalance emerging non-Western influence in African maritime zones.

Broader Regional Implications

The visit also strengthens Benin’s position as a rising maritime actor in West Africa, with growing responsibility for:

• Monitoring coastal waters and combating illicit trade routes from the Niger Delta to Togolese and Ghanaian waters.
• Facilitating regional naval coordination, particularly through the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre Zone E (Cotonou).

For France, the mission represents a strategic foothold to sustain influence in a region critical for energy routes, trade corridors, and counterterrorism logistics linking the Sahel and the Atlantic.

Conclusion: Partnership Anchored in Security and Sovereignty

The PHA Tonnerre’s port call in Cotonou encapsulates the renewed depth of Franco-Beninese defense cooperation and the shared strategic vision for a stable Gulf of Guinea.

By integrating training, diplomacy, and operational readiness, this engagement advances both nations’ objectives: ensuring maritime sovereignty, deterrence against transnational threats, and strengthened regional cooperation.

As Benin’s navy continues to professionalize and expand its operational reach, and France maintains its strategic engagement through CORYMBE, the Cotonou port call marks a pivotal moment in building a self-sustaining security architecture in West Africa’s maritime domain.

Prepared by:
Africa Security Analysis (ASA)
Regional Contributors: ASA Cotonou Field Bureau | French Naval Liaison Source | Beninese Defence Correspondent
Date: 12 November 2025
Classification: Strategic Report – Defence Cooperation & Maritime Security Analysis