U.S. Airmen join African Lion 2025 for military exercises in Benguerir and Kenitra
U.S. Airmen have deployed to Morocco for the 21st edition of African Lion 2025, which kicked off Monday in Agadir and will run through May 23. In coordination with the Royal Moroccan Air Force and allied nations, the exercise includes joint training in air-to-air refueling, close air support, and aeromedical evacuation.
According to a press release from U.S. Air Forces in Europe, more than 100 U.S. Airmen from units in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Germany are participating alongside their Moroccan counterparts.
KC-135 aircraft from Ohio's 121st Air Refueling Wing will operate out of Benguerir Air Base, conducting refueling missions with Moroccan F-16s. Medevac training, led by Moroccan forces, will take place at Kenitra Air Base.
«African Lion pushes us to our limits, ensuring readiness for real-world operations alongside allies and partners», said Lt. Gen. Jason Hinds, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Africa, highlighting the exercise's importance.
African Lion is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual exercise, bringing together 50 nations and 10,000 U.S. troops across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia. The Moroccan segment officially launched Monday with an opening ceremony at the headquarters of the Southern Zone Command in Agadir.
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