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