Morocco, US Wrap Up 2022 African Lion Military Exercises

Rabat – Thursday, June 30 marked the end of military exercises for the African Lion 2022 at Cape Draa in the southwestern city of Tantan, Morocco.

Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and the US Armed forces took part in the final maneuvers, where they executed several missions while flying in Moroccan planes “F16,” American bombers “B1,” and American helicopters “AH 64” Apache.

The military maneuvers also included shooting sessions using various weapons such as Abrams tanks and “Himars” missile launchers.

In a statement, General Stephen Townsend, Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), thanked the Moroccan government, the armed forces, and the Southern Zone Command and applauded the high-level exercises and the maneuvers’ impressive results.

The African Lion 2022 is the largest, joint, and most diverse multinational and multidisciplinary operation that the US Forces are conducting in Africa, in partnership with Morocco’s FAR, since 2004.

General Townsend stressed that the 2022 African Lion has helped strengthen Morocco-US cooperation in several sectors, including security and counterterrorism.

The military maneuvers took place in Kenitra, Agadir, Tan Tan, Taroudant, and Mahbes between June 20 and 30 and saw the participation of 10 countries and approximately 20 military observers from partner countries.

Morocco’s news agency MAP quoted the director of the tactical exercise in Cape Draa Colonel Nabil Taoussi as saying, “The tactical exercise organized in Cape Draa with the participation of more than 2,500 soldiers aims to strengthen the maneuvering capabilities of participating units and consolidate interoperability on the tactical and technical levels.”

As part of the 2022 African Lion, Morocco and US military also provided humanitarian assistance to the local population of Taliouine in Taroudant Province, reaffirming their commitment to serving vulnerable communities.

African Lion 2022 is US Africa Command’s largest annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, between June 6 to 30.

More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on strengthening their ability to serve alongside the forces of the US and other partner nations.