The 20th Morocco-USA annual joint and combined military exercise “African Lion” will take place on May 20-31 in the Moroccan cities of Benguérir, Agadir, Tan-Tan, Akka, and Tifnit, the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) said in a press release.
Approximately 7,000 military personnel from around twenty countries will participate in these military maneuvers, along with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the FAR, and the US Armed Forces.
The African Lion 2024 exercise is comprised of tactical, terrestrial, maritime, and aerial drills, conducted around the clock, as well as Special Forces exercises, airborne missions, and strategic planning sessions for Task Force personnel.
This year’s edition includes an academic training program, workshops on combating weapons of mass destruction, and a variety of medical, surgical, and social aid initiatives extended to the residents of the Akka region.
African Lion is the largest multinational exercise on the African continent. It mobilizes thousands of soldiers, vehicles, and aircraft from both sides of the Atlantic every year.
It also aims to strengthen military cooperation between Morocco and the United States, as well as between other participating countries, and to promote peace and security in the region.
It endeavors to develop interoperability between the FAR and the armed forces of allied countries to address common threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration.
The exercise was launched in 2004 as part of the military cooperation agreement signed between Morocco and the United States in 1982.