Collaboration Between US Army and Moroccan Forces for African Lion 2027
The Southern European Task Force – Africa (SETAF-AF), responsible for overseeing American ground operations in Africa, announced on October 2 that it is teaming up with the Royal Armed Forces of Morocco to incorporate new industrial partnerships and equipment into the upcoming African Lion 2027 exercises. Set to commence on April 19 in Morocco, this large-scale military exercise will involve over forty-five countries and cover a vast array of domains including land, maritime, aerial, and space operations, as well as intelligence, cybersecurity, and electronic warfare.
Over the course of five days, American and Moroccan planners convened at the Southern Zone headquarters in Agadir to strategize on various aspects such as training scenarios, training locations, and logistical requirements. This edition of African Lion aims to seamlessly integrate technological experimentation with military exercises, thereby enhancing operational readiness and capability.
Innovative Training Approaches and Real-World Testing
One of the key innovative approaches being explored involves a command exercise designed to directly integrate suppliers and industrial partners into training operations. This initiative ensures that new technologies are tested alongside military units in realistic scenarios, thereby allowing for practical evaluations in the field. Additionally, recent equipment trials and dedicated spaces for industrial demonstrations are part of the preparatory work being undertaken.
This approach presents an opportunity to challenge proposed systems against the operational constraints faced by multinational forces in areas such as communications, data sharing, inter-service coordination, logistics, and operational deployment. More importantly, it grants companies a more substantial role within the exercises, moving beyond mere product showcases to active participation in military operations.
Scenarios under consideration include live-fire exercises, joint operations, aerial and naval activities, possible training related to weapons of mass destruction in Agadir, and special forces exercises at Cap Draa. Colonel Benjamin Roark, Director of Training and Exercises for SETAF-AF, emphasized that these preparatory efforts are crucial for learning from previous iterations of African Lion and determining future objectives.
Cybersecurity and electronic warfare are also focal points for the lessons to be derived from the 2027 edition. The anticipated scale of participation, with over forty-five countries involved, is expected to rigorously test technical capabilities in a multi-national military environment.
The previous iteration, African Lion 2026, already served as an evaluation ground for over thirty American suppliers in Morocco. The equipment assessed included command systems, deep strike capabilities, drone warfare solutions, intelligence, and surveillance technologies, including autonomous systems and AI-based decision-making tools. Military personnel were tasked with evaluating the equipment used during the exercises, with their assessments subsequently relayed to the respective companies and American officials responsible for procurement decisions. Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Leonguerrero, who oversees technological projects for SETAF-AF, encapsulated the methodology with a focus on the necessity to 'test, fail, correct, and rapidly validate these technologies in a real military environment.'
For the 2027 edition, the US Army aims to involve the industry from the initial stages of exercise construction, utilizing equipment alongside units instead of relegating them to mere demonstrations. The specific modalities of corporate participation and the technologies to be included are still under determination.
As reported by barlamane.com.
