US Soldiers test autonomous systems during African Lion 26 in Morocco

TAN-TAN, Morocco - U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), conducted autonomous tactical vehicle training during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, April 30, 2026.

The training gave service members an opportunity to test artificial intelligence-powered and autonomous platforms across attack, defense and mission command operations.

"This training allows us to experiment with technologies that can reduce risk to Soldiers while increasing our operational reach," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ethan Burdette, officer in charge of the training and assigned to the 173rd MBCT. "We're learning how to integrate autonomous systems into real-world scenarios, not just theory."

The exercise focused on accelerating the sensor-to-shooter kill chain, compressing decision timelines and delivering scalable, cost-effective warfighting solutions aligned with regional security needs.

"Speed and precision are everything on the modern battlefield," Burdette said. "These systems help us make faster, more informed decisions and share that information across formations and with our partners."

AL26, U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).

"I think it's important for multinational militaries to train together and learn from our partners and allies, that way we can all become better in our prospective areas," said U.S. Army Pfc. David Pomeroy, a combat engineer assigned to the 173rd MBCT. "The way wars are fought are evolving every day and we must learn new strategies in order for us to never fall behind."

Running from April 20 to May 8, the multinational training spans Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia including more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations, reinforcing interoperability and strengthening collective security capabilities among U.S., African and allied forces.

"Working alongside our partners ensures these technologies are adaptable and relevant to shared challenges," Burdette said. "It's about building solutions together that enhance regional stability."

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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