The US Army plans to test up to 15 counter-drone technologies in Tan-Tan, southern Morocco, in 2027, using the African Lion military exercises to assess new systems designed to protect command posts and deployed troops from unmanned aircraft.
The initiative, announced Friday by the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), aims to accelerate the development, testing and deployment of military technologies, with a target of delivering successful systems to soldiers within 180 days.
The first demonstrations will take place in Tan-Tan during February and March 2027, followed by operational evaluations in April and May during African Lion, the US military’s largest annual exercise in Africa.
SETAF-AF will work with the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), which connects military commanders with technology developers and procurement authorities.
The tests will focus on five capability categories, including integrated mobile defense equipment, drone detection, systems designed to physically intercept drones, electronic countermeasures and passive protection.
The Army said the program addresses shortcomings in protecting forward command posts and military operating locations against small and medium-sized drones.
Major Katlin VanWye, a G-TEAD representative assigned to SETAF-AF, said the initiative would translate urgent operational challenges identified by commanders into specific technical requirements for defense industry partners.
The US Army identified Morocco’s training environment as an advantage, citing relatively uncongested airspace, access to radio frequencies and varied terrain that can be difficult to reproduce at military facilities in Europe and the United States.
Colonel Christopher Hill, G-TEAD’s director, said military commands have long identified technological needs but lacked direct access to the procurement authority and research funding required to address them quickly.
The planned trials follow earlier US-Moroccan military experimentation in Tan-Tan.
During African Lion 2026, American and Moroccan forces used the area to evaluate autonomous systems and emerging battlefield technologies. In August, the two militaries also supported a demonstration at the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center.
The 2027 initiative will extend that testing activity, with the US Army assessing which technologies can move beyond demonstrations into operational use.
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