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More than 20 service members from Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States graduated this week from the inaugural African Lion drone academics class held at the Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir as part of the African Lion 2026 military exercises.
The first-of-its-kind program focused on training participants in cost-effective small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).
The training included two simultaneous courses: an eight-day sUAS planner course and a 10-day operator course taught by instructors from the 7th Army Training Command. Participants trained on mission planning, airspace deconfliction, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering, strike capabilities, emergency procedures, night operations, camouflage, and real-time reconnaissance.
According to U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Guyton, the program aimed to equip planners with the ability to integrate drone operations into broader military maneuvers, while operators learned to plan, fly, and maintain drone systems in tactical environments.
The exercise also demonstrated the use of live drone feeds connected to a joint task force innovation cell, highlighting the potential for real-time imagery in both operations and training.
U.S. Army General Christopher Donahue said the program showed how partner forces could jointly use emerging technologies to address persistent security threats and strengthen regional security cooperation.
Organizers said Morocco’s open electromagnetic spectrum, uncongested airspace, and rugged terrain provided an ideal environment for realistic drone training difficult to replicate elsewhere.
African Lion 2026, held from April 20 to May 8 in Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, brought together more than 5,600 personnel from over 40 countries.
