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Rabat – Major General Andrew Gainey, the commanding general of the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, recently emphasized the importance of African Lion – AFRICOM’s largest multinational, combined joint exercise in Africa.
The 21st edition of the African Lion military exercise kicked off on Monday, May 12, in Agadir, bringing together military representatives from countries around the world.
The exercise will take place through May 23, gathering service members for military training to tackle security threats, particularly terrorism.
According to the US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, airmen from the US Air Force KC-135 are joining Moroccan counterparts to conduct training on air-to-air refueling, as well as aeromedical evacuation tactics, among other trainings during the military drill. The refueling will take place at Benguerir Air Base near Marrakech.
Gainey asserted that this military maneuver “demonstrates the capabilities of the Total Force by building strategic readiness and operational lethality alongside our African partners and allies to fight and win in a complex multi-domain environment.”
The military-focused website stressed that the Moroccan-hosted training will contribute to improving the “ability of the participating New York and New Jersey Air National Guard units to care for patients in combat scenarios, ensuring they can provide rapid and effective care.”
Jason Hinds, USAFE-Africa deputy commander, said the military training seeks to ensure that “we’re prepared for the complexities of real-world operations,” noting that the exercises “build the readiness we need to respond effectively to any challenge alongside Allies and partners.”
Morocco has been the host of African Lion for 21 years now, with the US acknowledging the country’s military strength and its capacity to host similar large-scale exercises.
General Michael Langley, Commander of the US Africa Command (US AFRICOM) has long emphasized Morocco’s importance as a strategic market for the US in all fields, particularly security.
He made his remarks during a ceremony celebrating the official delivery of the first batch of AH-64 Apache helicopters to Morocco in March.
“By purchasing these Apache helicopters, Morocco has made a significant step in investing in their security and in regional security. This investment now puts them on a new level of warfighting capability,” Langley said.
Langley added: “African armies are watching you [Morocco] and taking example from you,” expressing confidence that the partnership between the two countries will continue to grow and strengthen to contribute to the continent’s stability and security.
The US continues to top the list of Morocco’s largest arms exporters, with 69% ahead of major global exporters like France.
