The US military is turning to this African country to test up to 15 anti-drone solutions.

The US military plans to evaluate anti-drone technology in Morocco next year, expanding the North African country's role in US military testing.

The tests will focus on the protection of command posts and operational sites against small unmanned aircraft.

Demonstrations conducted by soldiers in Tan-Tan are planned for February and March 2027, followed by an operational evaluation during the African Lion exercise in April and May.

This program builds on Morocco's growing relationship with Washington in the areas of weapons testing, training, and equipment acquisition.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Army on October 16, up to 15 solutions will be evaluated as part of an initiative to provide soldiers with technology within 180 days. This is a goal, not a confirmed delivery schedule.

A faster path between testing and equipment

This initiative links the U.S. Army's Southern European Task Force in Africa to its Global Tactical Acquisitions Directorate, which helps commanders translate operational needs into technological requirements.

Explaining the broader program to DefenseScoop on October 14, the director, Colonel Christopher Hill, described a process that puts soldiers directly in contact with equipment demonstrations and evaluations.

According to the general model, companies receive feedback and must demonstrate their product adaptability before a subsequent operational evaluation. Commanders then use the results to determine their required capabilities.

Hill indicated that management typically restricts applications to 15 suppliers for demonstrations, of whom five are subsequently awarded contracts. These figures describe the process as a whole; they do not prove that five contracts have already been awarded in Morocco.

This approach aims to shorten traditional acquisition times and give military units greater influence over the technology they receive.

Morocco's growing role in testing

The planned tests add a specific program to an existing US-Moroccan defense initiative.

In early August, Morocco's military testing zone was opened to private companies developing missiles, drones and other equipment.

This arrangement followed an agreement to establish a multi-domain African Training and Experimentation Centre in Tan-Tan, comprising a training area, a drone academy and an innovation centre.

The military claims that African test sites offer airspace, spectral conditions, and terrain that are difficult to replicate at firing ranges in the United States and Europe.

These new trials also differ from the purchasing framework that Egypt and Morocco joined on October 13.

This framework allows participating governments faster access to approved counter-drone and drone warfare equipment. The Tan-Tan program aims to test and evaluate technologies that meet military needs.

None of these announcements proves that Morocco has purchased the systems offered for next year's trials.