The “African Lion” maneuvers are preparing to test the effectiveness of “Javelin” missiles in Morocco

It is expected that the US Army will participate in the multinational “African Lion 2024” maneuvers and training with about 700 National Guard soldiers, which will be hosted by the North Africa region during the month of May, specifically Morocco and Tunisia.

According to a US Army statement, most of these National Guard soldiers participating in the training remain part of the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Infantry Regiment, and they are expected to arrive in Morocco starting in the second half of this month.

It is expected, according to the same source, that National Guard units from Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia will train alongside US active duty forces, including the US Army and Air Force Reserve, with a large group of allied and partner countries, at a time when it is expected that These brigades are reinforced by medical teams, including doctors and dentists, to provide humanitarian aid as part of the exercises in Morocco.

In the same context, Colonel Frank Engel, Commander of the 108th Infantry Division, stressed that “multinational exercises such as the African Lion allow us to work side by side with our international and multiple partners to create a unique multinational force, and it is also an opportunity to enjoy demonstrating our competence on the continent.”

According to available data, the “Engel” battalion will participate in military operations and exercises in Morocco with soldiers from the headquarters of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Syracuse, along with the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion coming from Buffalo, as well as the 1st Battalion (258th Field Artillery) which is active at Camp Smith. .

It is also expected that the 108th Infantry Division will launch missiles known as “TOWs” and “Javelin” anti-tank missiles, which are wire-guided missiles launched from tubes, with the possibility of visual tracking of their path, and New York National Guard soldiers will participate in live ammunition exercises as part of the exercises that Includes firing missions in maritime areas and even B-52 bombing missions in Morocco.

It is scheduled that, during the period from 20 to 31 of this month, many regions of the Kingdom will undergo a set of expanded training within the framework of the “African Lion” exercise in its twentieth edition. Including the regions of Agadir, Tan Tan, Mahbas, Tata, Kenitra, Ibn Guerir and Tifnit.

Following the same approach as previous years, more than twenty countries are expected to participate in the “African Lion” training in Morocco, which is considered the largest on the continent. Led by the United States of America, along with other European countries affiliated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the number of participating soldiers and trainees exceeded 7,100 participants.

The Supreme Command of the Southern Region previously hosted, during the end of January and the beginning of last February, the planning work for the twentieth session of the “African Lion 2024” exercise, in which the Royal Armed Forces and the American Armed Forces participated, along with the forces of more than ten partner countries.