African Lion 2021: The Largest US Military Exercise Conducted In Africa

Corps General Belkhir El Farouk, Commander of the South Zone, indicated that “this exercise has undoubtedly reached a degree of maturity which attests to the solidity of cooperation between our respective armies”.

Under the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, the joint Morocco-US exercise “African Lion 2021” was launched last Monday in Agadir.

This exercise will continue until June 18, 2021 in the regions of Agadir, Tifnit, Tan Tan, Mahbes, Tafraout, Benguerir and Kenitra, involving thousands of multinational militaries and a very large number of land, air and sea equipment.

Speaking on this occasion, Corps General Belkhir El Farouk, Commander of the South Zone, indicated that “this exercise has undoubtedly reached a degree of maturity which attests to the solidity of cooperation between our respective armies”.

“In this context, it is appropriate to underline that the evolution of global geopolitics brings with it a set of threats and challenges that test military action, which is increasingly intended to be multinational in order to better understand the contingencies and constraints of commitments against hybrid threats, calling on protean modes of action”, he insisted.

General El Farouk adds that “in order to respond to the new imperatives of joint military engagements, it is inexorable that the concept of interoperability is well developed between the armies, likely to intervene in multinational forces”.

For his part, Major General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Commanding General for Africa and U.S. Army Southern European Task Force-Africa Commander, noted that the “African Lion” is “the largest US military exercise conducted on the African continent”.

“We have developed an exercise that will provide excellent training for all participants while protecting everyone’s health and safety,” said Rohling, noting that African Lion offers realistic, dynamic and collaborative preparation training.

“Together, we will improve interoperability and multinational cooperation, while creating strong links between the participating armed forces”, he said.

In addition to the United States of America and the Kingdom of Morocco, the 17th edition of this exercise sees the participation of Great Britain, Brazil, Canada, Tunisia, Senegal, the Netherlands, Italy as well as than the Atlantic Alliance, in addition to military observers from around thirty countries representing Africa, Europe and America.

As part of parallel humanitarian activities, a field medico-surgical hospital will be deployed at Amlen (Tafraout) where medical and surgical services will be provided for the benefit of the local population, by a medical team made up of doctors and nurses from the FAR and the US Army.

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