African Lion: US-Morocco military exercise to incorporate AI

US-Morocco military cooperation looks set to deepen as more detailed plans for an annual joint-military exercise have been revealed, according to the pro-Moroccan North Africa Post and agencies on February 23rd.

Reportedly, the 2026 African Lion exercise, scheduled for April 20th to May 8th, will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and future warfare technology.

According to the US Army Southern European Task Force- Africa (SETAF-AF) Advanced Capabilities Directorate, over 40 technology companies will test state-of-the-art military technologies alongside US military forces.

The US-based technology companies will address specific needs, such as mission command systems, deep attack capabilities, defence-in-depth enablers, which typically include cyber security, and counter-attack integrators.

African Lion’s purpose is to develop military ties across land, sea, air, and special operations; an emphasis is placed on interoperability, logistics, and the integration of forces.

Since its establishment in 2007, the exercise has allowed militaries to simulate war scenarios, disaster management, and the mitigation of weapons of mass destruction, all in a controlled environment.

In 2023, the exercise focused on utilising High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles, which Morocco had purchased from the US earlier that year.

US-Morocco military ties have persisted for decades, with the Kingdom’s partnership with US military contractor Lockheed Martin dating back to 1974, when the C-130H Hercules tactical airlifter was delivered to the Royal Moroccan Air Force.

Furthermore, Morocco was the only African country included in a multi-million-dollar US military support package, which would provide maintenance and repair-and-return support for F-16 fighter jet radar components.

Additionally, while US policy has historically restricted the sale of F-35 fighter jets in the Middle East to Israel, Morocco reportedly sought to purchase the aircraft in June 2025, making it the first Arab and African nation to acquire them.

In recent years, the deepening military ties have been in response to Algeria’s record military spending and its signing of arms deals with Russia and China.

The US has also been a staunch ally of Morocco in its pursuit of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, which would grant the disputed Western Sahara territory limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.

Algeria has repeatedly rejected this proposal and backs the Polisario Front, a separatist militia that claims to fight for self-determination for the Sahrawi people, whose ancestral homeland is the Western Sahara.

North Africa Post and agencies