The 22nd edition of the joint Moroccan American military exercise concluded Friday in the Cap Draa area near Tan-Tan with large scale ground and air drills involving Moroccan and U.S. forces, including the participation of a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber and Moroccan F-16 fighter jets.
The closing exercises were attended by Mohamed Berrid, inspector general of the Royal Armed Forces and commander of the southern zone, alongside Dagvin Anderson and senior civilian and military officials.
The drills included coordinated ground and aerial operations involving special forces units, armored vehicles, artillery systems and live fire exercises using individual and heavy weapons. Moroccan and American forces also deployed Abrams tanks and conducted tactical intervention scenarios under combined operational command.
The exercise featured a flyover by a U.S. B-52 bomber escorted by four Moroccan Royal Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft, highlighting growing interoperability between the two militaries.
Friday’s closing activities also included the formal reception of a new batch of AH-64E Apache helicopters delivered to Morocco under the kingdom’s defense partnership with the United States. Morocco signed a deal in 2020 to acquire 24 Apache helicopters as part of a broader military modernization program.
Military officials also showcased new battlefield technologies during the exercises, including drones, robotic systems, autonomous vehicles and mobile target platforms, reflecting the increasing integration of unmanned systems into joint operations.
African Lion, led annually by the United States Africa Command and Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, has grown into the largest military exercise on the African continent, involving thousands of troops from multiple partner countries across Africa, Europe and North America.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.