Morocco begins planning for African Lion 2026 military exercise

A planning meeting for African Lion 2026, a military cooperation exercise, is being held in the Moroccan city of Agadir between December 8th and 12th, according to the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on December 9th.

The planning process is taking place in the South Zone Headquarters, where representatives from several nations, including the US and Morocco, are reportedly in attendance.

The purpose of the exercise is to develop military ties in areas which include land, sea, air and special operations; an emphasis is placed on interoperability, logistics, and the integration of forces.

According to a statement from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), “40,000 military personnel have participated in the last five editions of this exercise, reflecting the commitment of our partners and the importance of this annual gathering, the largest military event in Africa.”

First established in 2007, African Lion trains militaries in various war scenarios, such as countering weapons of mass destruction and disaster management.

In 2023, the exercise focused on utilising the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles, as the US had approved the sale of 18 HIMARS to Morocco on April 11th.

Military ties between the US and Morocco have been developing, as evidenced by the meeting on October 20th between representatives from both nations in Rabat to discuss cooperation, the defence industry, and joint training.

A strengthening of ties between the nations was also signalled on March 19th, 2024, when the US State Department reportedly announced its authorisation of the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Morocco.

Morocco was also the only African country to be included in a US military support deal worth $303.6 million, which includes radar repair and support services for F-16 fighter jets.

In May, Morocco joined the F-16 global production chain following a $50 million US technology transfer agreement, which allowed Morocco to purchase 24 F-16 Viper jets.

On June 20th, it was reported that Morocco sought to reach a deal with US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, where the Kingdom would become the first Arab and African country to acquire F-35 fighter jets.

The US has supplied 91% of Morocco’s arms, with the Kingdom receiving funding worth $4,478 million since 2013. Additionally, the Kingdom has received funding worth $135 million from US Foreign Military Financing since 2012.

North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org