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U.S. Air Force personnel have joined more than 30 allied and partner militaries for African Lion 2026, a multinational exercise running April 20 to May 8 across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia. The Pentagon describes African Lion as U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint training event, drawing roughly 4,500 participants this year and showcasing the Air Force’s “Total Force” model with about 100 active-duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Airmen taking part.
Reserve units on the roster include the 88th Aerial Port Squadron and the 514th Force Support Squadron. The 88th APS is slated to work alongside the U.S. Marine Corps’ 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces on training objectives and real-world exercise support.
Multiple Air National Guard units are scheduled to operate in Morocco—the 123rd Air Control Squadron, 165th Air Support Operations Squadron, and 235th Combat Air Operations Squadron—while the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron and 243rd Combat Air Operations Squadron will train in Tunisia.
Active-duty participation features the 1st Combat Communications Squadron from Ramstein Air Base, which will support integrated operations training and information and data sharing via Link-16 in Morocco. The 435th Contingency Response Support Squadron will take part in a command post exercise in Tunisia.
“African Lion showcases the dynamic capabilities of our Total Force Airmen,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason Hinds, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander. “AL26 is a critical opportunity to enhance readiness and our ability to operate seamlessly with our African and international partners in a complex, multi-domain environment.”
Led by U.S. Africa Command and executed by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, the exercise is designed to improve interoperability among participating forces, including NATO allies, and to build readiness for crisis response in Africa and beyond. Planners say the multinational framework strengthens a coalition network that underpins access and influence and is intended to counter malign actors targeting partner resources and sovereignty.
Training will span the land, air, maritime, space, and cyber domains. According to the Air Force, the drills are meant to sharpen U.S. readiness while boosting partner capacity to address regional threats and support stability. Organizers point to the integration of more than 4,500 service members as evidence of a broad-based commitment to security cooperation in the region.
