Morocco deepens its role in US military cooperation across Africa

Monday 21 September 2026 - 11:19

By: Azzat Manal

Morocco deepens its role in US military cooperation across Africa

Morocco is strengthening its military cooperation with the United States as Washington expands multinational security initiatives across Africa. Recent joint exercises and new defense projects have highlighted the growing operational and technological links between the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces and U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM.

The relationship was particularly visible during African Lion 2026, the largest annual exercise organized by AFRICOM. Held across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, the exercise brought together more than 5,600 military and civilian personnel from over 40 countries. In Morocco, activities involved thousands of participants and focused on interoperability, logistics, emerging technologies and multinational readiness.

Morocco has also become an important testing environment for new military technologies. During African Lion 2026, U.S. and Moroccan forces conducted training involving autonomous systems and unmanned aerial platforms in the Tan-Tan area. The exercises were designed to examine how emerging technologies could support reconnaissance, command and other military operations.

Another significant development came in July 2026, when AFRICOM and the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center in Tan-Tan. The planned facility is expected to include a multidomain training area, a drone academy and an innovation and experimentation center, with the project targeted for development by 2030.

The center is intended to provide a platform for training, experimentation and cooperation between Moroccan and U.S. defense industries. Its development could also facilitate the testing of emerging technologies under realistic operating conditions while expanding opportunities for joint innovation.

The importance of the Tan-Tan facility was further demonstrated in August, when U.S. and Moroccan forces supported a live-fire demonstration involving a U.S. defense-industry partner and long-range precision-strike capabilities. AFRICOM described the activity as an important development in bilateral defense cooperation and in efforts to expand testing opportunities for emerging military technologies.

The broader relationship extends beyond individual exercises. African Lion has become a recurring platform for cooperation involving land, air, maritime, cyber and space capabilities, while Moroccan and U.S. forces have also worked together on areas such as logistics, medical readiness and countering weapons of mass destruction.

For Washington, Morocco provides an established military partner in North Africa and a location where multinational exercises can connect African, European and U.S. forces. For Rabat, military cooperation with the United States contributes to training, interoperability and access to advanced defense technologies.

The relationship is also taking place within a broader network of Morocco’s international defense partnerships. The country has sought to diversify and modernize its armed forces through cooperation with several foreign partners, while developing domestic capabilities and infrastructure.

The growing focus on multidomain training, drones, autonomous systems and defense-industry cooperation indicates that the U.S.-Morocco relationship is evolving beyond traditional military exercises. The planned Tan-Tan center, if implemented as scheduled, could become another component of this expanding framework for training, experimentation and technological cooperation in Africa.