Following the success of African Lion 2024, Morocco is preparing to host Exercise Arcane Thunder 24, marking a significant new stage in military cooperation between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco.
Scheduled to run from 5 to 16 August, this multi-domain exercise will bring together around 300 soldiers from the United States, Morocco, the United Kingdom and Germany, and will take place simultaneously in Germany and Morocco.
Led by the U.S. Army’s 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, Arcane Thunder 24 aims to enhance cooperation and interoperability among participating nations, focusing on the synchronization and employment of non-lethal effects against adversaries on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace and in space.
Colonel Patrick Moffett, Commander of the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, stressed the importance of this exercise in consolidating the partnership between the United States and Morocco, while ensuring that US allies and their partners retain a decisive advantage against potential adversaries.
This edition of Arcane Thunder marks the first time the exercise will be held in Morocco, reinforcing the US commitment to the security of this North African nation. Participating forces will face a series of complex missions and challenges, designed to test their planning capabilities and integrate industrial technology to assess the US military’s modernisation efforts.
Arcane Thunder 24 follows the success of the 20th edition of African Lion, a joint military exercise organised in May by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) and the US armed forces. African Lion 2024 brought together some 7,000 military personnel from 20 countries and representatives of NATO.
In recent years, Morocco and the United States have intensified their military cooperation through strategic dialogue, joint training and support programmes. Last February, Michael Langley, Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), visited Rabat and praised Morocco’s commitment to regional stability and its leadership in promoting security cooperation.
During his meeting with Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defence Administration, the two parties discussed the achievements of existing military cooperation relations within the framework of the Defence Partnership Roadmap for the period 2020-2030, and acknowledged the positive results of collaboration between the Moroccan armed forces and their American counterparts.
This visit was followed by another meeting in the same month, during which the FAR Inspector General, Mohammed Berrid, exchanged views with Jennifer Zakriski, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, on various aspects of military collaboration, including the defence industry, material and equipment procurement, training, technology transfer and disaster management.
The US State Department also praised Morocco’s role in regional security, recognising the country as an essential partner in promoting stability, combating terrorism and strengthening economic ties in the Middle East and North Africa.
Morocco is the largest purchaser of US military equipment in Africa and receives substantial support through foreign military financing and the International Military Education and Training programme.
MN/te/fss/GIK/APA