Morocco and the United States have expanded their military and defense-industrial cooperation with the first live-fire demonstration using assets from the African Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) in Tan-Tan, bringing U.S. and Moroccan forces together to test emerging long-range precision-strike capabilities.
The demonstration was held from Aug. 3 to 7 as part of a U.S. Army initiative to expand testing ranges and support a U.S. defense-industry partner in evaluating long-range precision-strike capabilities, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
AFRICOM described the event as a milestone in U.S.-Moroccan defense cooperation, saying it expanded opportunities to assess emerging capabilities under realistic conditions and accelerate the delivery of new technologies to joint forces.
The exercise involved U.S. and Moroccan military personnel establishing a field test site and conducting a live-fire demonstration alongside engineers and technicians from the defense industry.
According to AFRICOM, the teams assessed communications systems, evaluated the maneuverability of launcher components, and collected weather and targeting data. The information gathered during the demonstration is expected to inform future testing, capability development and operational deployment.
Morocco seeks regional defense innovation hub
The exercise also highlighted Morocco’s ambitions to develop AMTEC into a regional center for defense innovation, strategic cooperation and industrial development.
Col. Zouhair El Hamdani, a Royal Moroccan Armed Forces officer responsible for coordination, said the vision is for AMTEC to become a regional hub for innovation and strategic cooperation, as well as a center of excellence dedicated to experimentation, validation, evaluation and the development of advanced technologies.
He described the first live-fire demonstration as a major step toward turning that vision into reality.
The initiative is expected to provide U.S. and Moroccan forces, as well as defense-industry partners, with a dedicated environment to test, evaluate and develop emerging capabilities.
AFRICOM said the center is also strengthening its role as a multinational experimentation platform, allowing military forces and industry partners to test technologies in operational environments that can be difficult to replicate at testing facilities in the United States.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of AFRICOM, said the partnership with Morocco provides an important location for accelerating the readiness of U.S. joint forces and African partners.
“AMTEC in Tan-Tan not only enhances our security cooperation and drives innovation, but also proves that trusted partnerships are the way to confront shared security challenges together,” Anderson said.
U.S. Army Col. Michael M. Gachero, chief of regional engagement in AFRICOM’s Strategy, Engagement and Programs Directorate, said the live-fire demonstration reflected a broader shift toward multinational training that integrates emerging technologies with partner forces in realistic operational environments.
As AMTEC develops, he said, U.S. forces will work with African and international partners to expand advanced training, improve interoperability and accelerate innovation.
Long-range precision strikes
The live-fire demonstration involved a low-cost, long-range cruise missile system designed to provide scalable precision-strike options, according to AFRICOM.
The exercise also included a U.S. defense technology startup, illustrating what AFRICOM described as a model for rapidly connecting operational requirements with private-sector innovation.
The testing was designed not only to validate the new capabilities but also to generate operational data that could be used to improve future exercises and military readiness.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Hack, deputy host-nation planner for the Southern European Task Force, Africa, said the demonstration showed how training, technology and operational partnerships could be combined to create more realistic, data-driven exercises.
Each demonstration, he said, generates insights that can improve readiness, refine future exercises and shape how forces train and operate in increasingly complex environments.
AMTEC’s expanding role
Beyond testing individual systems, the demonstration strengthens Morocco’s emerging role as a regional security partner and positions AMTEC as a platform for multinational defense experimentation.
AFRICOM said the facility is expected to provide U.S. and Moroccan forces, allies, partners and defense-industry companies with a cost-effective environment for testing capabilities across multiple domains.
Future experiments are expected to expand into areas including long-range fires, autonomous systems, wireless communications and advanced sensing technologies.
The development of AMTEC therefore reflects a broader effort to shorten the distance between defense innovation and operational capability, while deepening military interoperability between Morocco, the United States and other international partners.
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