Moroccan and U.S. troops academic exercises in Agadir as African Lion 2025 launches in Morocco
Members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and U.S. Army instructors took part in academic exercises last week in Agadir, as part of African Lion 2025—the largest annual military exercise in Africa.
A video shared Monday by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS)—a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) platform that provides public access to military-related news—shows Royal Moroccan Armed Forces soldiers listening attentively and taking notes as U.S. soldiers deliver instruction as part of an academic exercise held on May 5. Another video shows similar academic courses were conducted on May 7 as well.
These exercises are part of a series of operations scheduled to take place across Morocco until May 23, as part of the 21st edition of African Lion of which an opening ceremony was officially held on Monday.
The ceremony, held at the headquarters of the Southern Zone Staff in Agadir, brought together military representatives from participating countries and was co-chaired by Major General Mohammed Benlouali, Chief of Staff of the South Zone, and Brigadier General Brian Cederman, Deputy Commander of SETAF-Africa.
Major General Benlouali emphasized that the 21st edition of African Lion «reflects the strength of the partnership and spirit of cooperation linking the FAR, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the brotherly and friendly countries taking part».
Brigadier General Cederman described the exercise as «a truly remarkable event, which testifies to the significant value of this training and the growing strength of our partnerships».
Led by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), African Lion 2025 brings together more than 10,000 troops from over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies. Taking place across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, the exercise features a wide-ranging training program, including operational planning, joint maneuvers, and NRBC (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, and Chemical) decontamination, alongside humanitarian and civil assistance initiatives.
In Morocco, the African Lion exercises will be held in the regions of Agadir, Tan-Tan, Tiznit, Kénitra, Benguérir, and Tifnit.
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