Agadir, September 24, 2026 — The Europe Today: Morocco and the United States have begun preparations for the 2027 edition of the African Lion multinational military exercise, with the first planning meeting underway at the Southern Zone Command of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) in Agadir.
The planning meeting, which began on September 21 and will continue through September 25, brings together delegations from Morocco, the United States and other participating countries to establish the framework for next year’s exercise.
According to the FAR, the meeting focuses on strengthening coordination among participating forces, facilitating the exchange of expertise and defining the training objectives and various phases of the exercise.
The participating delegations are also working on operational and logistical concepts for activities covering land, air and maritime domains, with special operations among the areas under consideration.
African Lion 2027 is scheduled to take place from April 25 to May 7, 2027, with activities planned in several Moroccan locations, including Agadir, Tan-Tan, Guelmim, Benguerir, Kenitra and Dakhla.
The exercise is jointly organized by Morocco and the United States and serves as a platform for multinational military cooperation, interoperability and joint training. Preparations for the 2027 edition are expected to further develop coordination and operational capabilities among the participating forces.
The planning process follows the 2026 edition of African Lion, which involved more than 5,600 personnel from over 40 countries and was conducted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. The 2026 exercise featured training and activities involving unmanned systems, cyberspace, electronic warfare, secure communications and other emerging military technologies.
The 2027 exercise will also take place against the backdrop of expanding Morocco-US defense cooperation, including the countries’ 2026-2036 Defense Cooperation Roadmap and plans for the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) in Tan-Tan.
The ongoing planning meeting in Agadir marks an initial step toward organizing the next edition of African Lion and establishing its training, operational and logistical framework.
