The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, July 13, 2026, at the command headquarters in Stuttgart. This agreement aims to establish the African Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC), which is set to become a pivotal hub for military training and innovation in Africa.
AMTEC will consist of three primary components: a Multi-Domain Training Area (MDTA), a Drone Academy, and an Innovation and Experimentation Center. These facilities are slated for construction in the city of Tan-Tan, Morocco, with a target completion date of 2030. This ambitious project reflects Morocco's commitment to enhancing its military preparedness and operational capabilities.
General Mohamed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Region, emphasized that Morocco’s readiness is demonstrated through its existing infrastructure and qualified human resources. He stated, “Morocco's capabilities ensure a rapid transition from conceptualization to operational reality, providing a reliable partner for both Moroccan and American industries to support joint innovation and create export opportunities.”
The MDTA will provide a dedicated physical space to ensure that forces and systems are prepared to operate effectively across various environments. One of the key features of this training area is its ability to function across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including contested environments that may experience interference and electronic threats.
The Drone Academy will be responsible for training operators, planners, and trainers from Morocco and partner African nations, focusing on enhancing their capabilities to combat terrorism and address security threats in West Africa. The academy will equip trainees with the necessary knowledge and skills to integrate small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) into comprehensive operational plans, emphasizing airspace management, conflict avoidance, multi-domain integration, precision strike capabilities, and coordination of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.
The Innovation and Experimentation Center will focus on the rapid development, testing, and evaluation of emerging capabilities, emphasizing low-cost and scalable solutions to support counter-terrorism operations and regional security. Collaborative efforts will aim to establish partnerships with universities and academic institutions, involving experts and academic organizations within interdisciplinary design teams.
General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of AFRICOM, remarked, “The African Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Center will significantly enhance the readiness and capabilities of both nations. This partnership presents a vital opportunity for defense industry bases in the United States and Africa, as well as academic institutions, to engage in experimentation, innovation, and the development of scalable and adaptable solutions in emerging technologies.”
This initiative opens avenues for developing new capabilities in networking, particularly in remote and underserved areas, thereby bolstering security and economic development. Additionally, it provides developers in the United States and Morocco with low-cost opportunities for conducting tests and experiments. The AMTEC center will serve as a testing platform for future wireless communication and sensing technologies, ensuring that American investments in innovation translate into operational capabilities that enhance the security of both nations and foster joint industrial growth.
The press release also confirmed that the African Lion 2027 exercise will serve as a prototype to validate the AMTEC concept. This annual exercise, hosted by Morocco, provides a platform for testing the integration of advanced technologies directly into operational environments. Industry partners work alongside military personnel to test systems based on artificial intelligence, autonomous platforms, and advanced communication tools, expediting the transition of these technologies from the idea phase to operational capabilities.
As reported by thevoice.ma.
