Multinational Partners Prep for African Lion

Back to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

AGADIR, Morocco - Multinational military planners gathered, Nov. 18-22, to advance preparations for African Lion 2025 (AL25), the largest U.S.-led military exercise on the African continent. This mid planning event (MPE), hosted by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces at the Southern Zone Headquarters, follows a week of similar planning efforts in Italy, as all participating nations finalize their contributions to the expansive exercise.

AL25, scheduled from April to May 2025 will bring together military forces from Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, the United States and NATO. This year's exercise expands in size and scope, showcasing the U.S. military's strategic partnerships across Africa and its commitment to enhancing regional security.

"Planning early ensures we align our objectives and execute a seamless exercise," said Mr. Alex Valdes, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) deputy African Lion exercise chief. "This MPE is essential to refining logistics, setting operational goals and ensuring all participants are prepared."

The weeklong planning session in Morocco focused on refining joint operations across multiple domains, including air, land, sea and special operations. This included strategic discussions on interoperability, logistics and the integration of forces during the exercise. The collaboration between Moroccan and Senegalese planners was particularly notable, as both nations continue to enhance their regional security efforts.

"Exercises like African Lion emphasize the strength of our partnerships and our shared commitment to stability," said a Royal Moroccan Armed Forces representative. "Working alongside our U.S. counterparts enables us to refine our strategies and build trust."

Planners from Tunisia convened the week prior to finalize their country's contributions to AL25. Tunisia will focus on air-to ground integration, maritime security and counterterrorism operations, aligning its efforts with Morocco and other participating nations to address shared challenges across North and West Africa.

AL25's scope extends far beyond North Africa. Planners from Ghana and Senegal are playing pivotal roles in ensuring the exercise's success in West Africa, where forces will conduct field training exercises and humanitarian operations. These efforts align with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) strategic objectives to strengthen defense capabilities and build long-term stability across the continent.

"This exercise reinforces our ability to work together as a cohesive team," said Ghana Armed Forces Lt. Col. Daniel Ampadu, Ghanaian exercise planner. "It's an opportunity to enhance our operational readiness while deepening our relationships with our partners."

In Senegal, multinational forces will focus on peacekeeping and border security operations, demonstrating the importance of interoperability in addressing regional challenges. The integration of special operations and logistics capabilities highlight Senegal's role as a regional leader in security cooperation.

"Our involvement in African Lion reflects our shared commitment to countering threats and fostering peace," said Senegal Armed Forces Lt. Col. Aloise Ndene, Senegalese exercise planner. "By working together, we're building a more secure future for Africa."

With African Lion's size and complexity, planners emphasized the importance of starting preparations two years in advance. The exercise integrates participants from AFRICOM, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa, and U.S. Marine Forces Europe-Africa, alongside African and NATO partners.

"Starting early allows us to identify gaps and ensure our plans are synchronized across multiple nations," said Sgt. 1st. Class Christopher Hack, SETAF-AF planner. "African Lion's success depends on meticulous coordination and a shared vision."

As the exercise expands to include more countries and complex scenarios, the early planning process is vital to achieving its goals of enhancing readiness, interoperability and security across Africa.

AL25 is more than a military exercise-it is a demonstration of unity and shared purpose. From the Moroccan-Senegalese planning partnership to the coordination across North and West Africa, the exercise highlights the value of international cooperation.

"The relationships we build during African Lion strengthen our collective ability to respond to crises," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alayham Alawaj, SETAF-AF African Lion exercise chief. "This exercise not only prepares us for future challenges but also reaffirms our commitment to our partners across Africa."

About African Lion

African Lion is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. This joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and build readiness to respond to crises and contingencies in Africa and around the world.

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About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF providesU.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

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