AGADIR, Morocco – A multinational team of planners from military, government and industry sectors convened with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) in Agadir, Morocco, from Dec. 8-12, 2025, for the mid planning event (MPE) for African Lion 2026 (AL26). The week-long event allowed this diverse group of planners to synchronize and refine objectives. A central focus for AL26 will be a challenging command field exercise designed to validate the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa’s (SETAF-AF) ability to lead a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF). The exercise will test the task force’s capacity to integrate U.S. forces with those from Morocco and other participating nations, a critical step in promoting regional security. For AL26 in Morocco, planners are exploring the in...