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Join on Telegram Marrakech – The largest military exercise on the African continent delivered a breakthrough in coalition communications this year, with US Africa Command fielding the Mobile Ad Hoc Network-Cloud High Mobility Radio system – known as MCHMR or “MC Hammer” – during African Lion 26 in Morocco.
The system, tested across the April 20 to May 8 exercise window, addresses a long-standing operational gap: the absence of a unified pathway to funnel industry-provided data, from geolocation to full-motion video, into military command systems. MCHMR creates a single information corridor connecting the tactical edge directly to combined joint task force headquarters through a shared common operational picture.
“We identified a critical gap [of] no unified pathway to integrate industry-provided data, from geolocation to full-motion video, into our operational systems,” Lt. Col. Ramon N. Leonguerrero, African Lion future operations chief and innovation division project manager for US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), told military media. “MCHMR solved that problem by creating a streamlined information pathway that connects the tactical edge directly to the combined joint task force headquarters.”
The platform operates on a hardware-agnostic architecture, meaning it can interface with diverse equipment across multiple partner nations without requiring standardized hardware.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan G. Duncan, J6 chief technical advisor for AFRICOM, described the focus as “building resilient data pathways that enable seamless collaboration in both connected and disconnected environments, ultimately empowering decision dominance at the tactical edge.”
Allied and partner nations participating in the exercise accessed and contributed to a shared common operational picture through the system, marking a significant advance in multinational interoperability.
Multiple firsts emerged from the system’s battlefield deployment
Several first-of-their-kind milestones accompanied the deployment. AFRICOM, in coordination with SETAF-AF, validated a multilanguage artificial intelligence capability delivering real-time Arabic-to-English translation over MPU5 radios integrated into the MCHMR network. The capability reduces reliance on human translators during multinational operations.
“This is the first time we’ve successfully tested real-time, Arabic-to-English translation on these systems, and seeing different services and nations work seamlessly together to make that happen has been a huge step forward,” noted Airman 1st Class Caleb Hilton, a radio frequency transmission operations specialist with the 355th Communications Squadron.
In another milestone, the innovation team integrated Moroccan “WanderB” unmanned aerial system feeds into the MCHMR cloud environment and next-generation command and control systems. It marked the first time partner-nation intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data was directly shared across the network, allowing full-motion video to flow from ground control stations to operations centers and connected end-user devices.
Following an intensive six-day development cycle, the team also achieved the first integration of full-motion video into next-generation C2 systems operating on Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network architecture within the AFRICOM area of responsibility. The capability supports target identification and battle damage assessment, accelerating the decision-making process.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll received a briefing on the MCHMR system at the Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir on May 1, reviewing the proof of concept alongside the innovation cell personnel who built and operated it.
The MCHMR deployment took place within the broader framework of African Lion 26, which brought together more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations across training sites in Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
The exercise was co-led by SETAF-AF and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) under the supervision of AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson and FAR Inspector General Mohamed Berrid, testing capabilities across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.
‘No better partner than Morocco to host these maneuvers’
As the exercise concluded on May 8, Anderson placed the operation in a historical context. “As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are reminded that true strength is built not only on independence, but on the enduring partnerships we cultivate,” Anderson remarked. “The U.S.-Morocco relationship stands as a testament to that principle, a friendship that began in 1777 and continues to thrive today.”
Anderson warned that contemporary security threats demand collective action across borders. “From terrorism to transnational instability, these challenges demand a unified, multinational approach, one built on trust, shared responsibility, and the collective will to act decisively,” he added, describing African Lion as “a laboratory for innovation, where we test, learn, and adapt in real time so we are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Sgt. Maj. Patrick Jeffrey, G7 Directorate sergeant major for SETAF-AF, acknowledged Morocco’s role directly. “We are grateful for the continued solidarity and tireless support of our Moroccan hosts as we work together through the most complex moments of this exercise,” Jeffrey noted.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth struck a similar tone while addressing the closing ceremony via videoconference from Washington. “There is no better partner to host these maneuvers,” Hegseth affirmed. “Morocco represents one of our nation’s oldest and most treasured relationships.”
More than 30 US-based industry partners participated alongside multinational forces and academic institutions, testing AI-enabled command and control, autonomous systems, and advanced ISR platforms in high-pressure scenarios.
The capstone combined field exercise featured multi-domain operations, including defense in depth, deep strike, and a coordinated counterattack integrating remotely operated breaching systems and autonomous fire support platforms.
Brig. Gen. Daniel L. Cederman, deputy commanding general-reserve of SETAF-AF, cast the innovation push in operational terms. “By testing and refining these capabilities in a multinational environment, we are strengthening interoperability and ensuring we are prepared to meet evolving threats,” he explained.
Rather than following traditional acquisition timelines, the MCHMR effort relied on rapid experimentation and immediate operational feedback. Leonguerrero described this cycle as “testing, failing, fixing and validating” to deliver “capabilities at the pace modern warfare demands.”
