Agadir – US and Moroccan forces have conducted the first-ever live-fire demonstration using assets from the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC), marking a new step in defense cooperation between the two countries.
Held from August 3 to 7, the demonstration in Morocco supported a US defense industry partner in testing long-range precision-strike capabilities as part of the US Secretary of the Army’s Test Range Expansion Initiative.
The exercise brought together personnel from the US military, Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR), and defense industry engineers and technicians to test emerging technologies under realistic operational conditions.
The participating forces established an expeditionary test site and conducted a live-fire demonstration focused on validating communications systems, assessing the maneuverability of wings, tires, and trolley components, and collecting weather and targeting data.
Col. Zouhair El Hamdani, a Royal Armed Forces officer responsible for coordination, said the demonstration represented a significant milestone in AMTEC’s development as a regional center for military innovation and cooperation.
“The vision is to establish AMTEC as a regional hub for innovation, strategic cooperation, and industrial development,” El Hamdani said, adding that the center is intended to support the experimentation, validation, evaluation, and development of advanced technologies.
Tackling shared challenges together
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said Morocco’s partnership provides an important venue for improving the readiness of US forces and African partners.
“AMTEC not only strengthens our security cooperation and drives innovation, it demonstrates that trusted partnerships are how we help tackle shared security challenges together,” Anderson said.
The demonstration also aimed to shorten the process between testing emerging technologies and their eventual deployment. US officials said AMTEC provides defense companies with access to testing environments that can be difficult to replicate at US military ranges.
US Army Lt. Col. Corbett W. Baxter, an exercise planner with the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), said the event enabled military personnel to assess emerging technologies alongside partner forces in realistic conditions.
The live-fire demonstration involved a low-cost, long-range cruise missile system designed to provide scalable precision-strike capabilities while generating operational performance data.
US Army Col. Michael M. Gacheru, regional engagement division chief within AFRICOM’s Strategy, Engagement and Programs Directorate, said AMTEC is intended to expand advanced training and interoperability with African and international partners.
“As AMTEC continues to evolve in Morocco, we’re expanding advanced training, strengthening interoperability and accelerating innovation alongside our African and international partners,” Gacheru said.
The demonstration is expected to serve as a model for future experimentation at AMTEC, with planned activities covering long-range fires, autonomous systems, wireless communications, and advanced sensing technologies.
The center is ultimately expected to provide US and Moroccan forces, allied militaries, partner nations, and defense companies with a cost-effective environment for testing capabilities across multiple military domains.
