African Lion 2027 to put US defense technology to the test in Morocco
Moroccan and US military personnel are preparing a new round of tests for African Lion 2027. Defense companies are expected to take part in the exercises, testing their equipment alongside the units involved. The first discussions were held in Agadir.
For five days, the Royal Armed Forces and their US partners worked at the Southern Zone headquarters on the goals, sites and logistics for the next edition. In its report published on October 2, the US Army describes the planned role of defense companies.
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Their participation is to be incorporated into the field command exercise, described as the centerpiece of the maneuvers. New equipment will be tested alongside military personnel in realistic scenarios. Defense companies are also to be involved in designing the exercises.
The initiative extends the testing conducted in Morocco during African Lion 2026. More than thirty US companies took part in activities held in the kingdom, according to the US account of that edition.
At Cap Drâa, near Tan-Tan, US soldiers used autonomous tactical vehicles and systems incorporating artificial intelligence, among other equipment. Other sessions focused on drone piloting, reconnaissance and target identification. The aim was to shorten the time between detecting a threat and units responding, according to a report published in May.
Tan-Tan set to host an experimentation center
These exercises are part of a longer-term project: the future Tan-Tan training and experimentation center, known as AMTEC. Morocco and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in July to establish it, with plans to ramp up its operations by 2030.
The facility is to include a training area, a drone academy and an innovation center. Partnerships with industry and universities are planned to develop and evaluate autonomous systems, advanced communications and sensors. African Lion 2027 is to serve as the concept’s first demonstration.
For the next edition, planners are also considering exercises involving weapons of mass destruction in Agadir and special operations at Cap Drâa. These activities are still under consideration.
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The schedule is already set: a main planning meeting will take place in December, followed by a final session in February. African Lion 2027 is set to begin on April 19, with more than 45 nations expected.
