African Lion 23 Begins

Photo By Spc. Mackenzie Willden | U.S. Army AH-64D “Apache” attack helicopters, assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, Utah Army National Guard, participate in a training exercise with partner nations to demonstrate the capabilities of multinational armies working together simultaneously in a combined arms live-fire mission during African Lion 22, June 28, 2022. African Lion 22 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, combined annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner-nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperadurbility among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Mackenzie Willden)  

AGADIR, MOROCCO

05.18.2023

Story by Maj. Chris Bradley 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy – 18 nations and approximately 8,000 personnel will participate in African Lion 2023, U.S. Africa Command's largest annual combined, joint exercise that will take place in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia from May 13-June 18, 2023.

“Our collective ability to bring like-minded nations together for an exercise like this is truly impressive,” said Maj. Gen. Joel Tyler, United States Africa Command Chief of Staff. “African Lion is the centerpiece of the AFRICOM exercise strategy, and one of the greatest U.S. exercises across the globe.”

AL23 provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command; as well as strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.

This year’s exercise features multiple combined arms live fire exercises; a maritime exercise; an air exercise with U.S. C-130J Super Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, F-16 Fighting Falcons and bomber aircraft; a joint forcible entry with paratroopers into a field training exercise; two chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear response exercises; and three humanitarian civic assistance program events.

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) establishes the exercise’s combined joint task force headquarters, integrating AFRICOM components and international partners to provide mission command across the training enterprise. U.S. participants come from across the joint force including the Reserves and National Guard.

AFRICOM sponsored exercises bolster partnerships between African, U.S. and other international militaries, increasing interoperability during crisis and operations to increase security and stability in the region. Exercise African Lion strengthens shared defense capabilities and cooperation to counter transnational threats and violent extremist organizations.

For Media Inquiries: Contact SETAF-AF public affairs at: [e-mail]

For photos, videos and articles on African Lion, follow https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AfricanLionEx on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Create a free account to download high resolution images and video products at https://www.dvidshub.net/member/registration.

• Date Taken: 05.18.2023
• Date Posted: 05.18.2023 10:12
• Story ID: 444999
• Location: AGADIR, MA