The participation of two U.S. B-52 strategic bombers along with four Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 fighter jets in the ongoing the African Lion military exercise 2026 in Morocco send a strong message to the Kingdom’s regional enemies.
The B-52 “visible presence over Morocco, operating alongside Royal Moroccan Air Force fighters, signals credible deterrence and reinforces the U.S. commitment to regional security,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commanding general of U.S. Africa Command.
The flyover was a key component of AL-26, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8. Integrating these aircraft into the multinational exercise demonstrated the ability of the U.S. and its partners to project combat-credible airpower worldwide.
U.S. Strategic Command bomber forces carry out combined theatre security cooperation engagements with allies and partners, demonstrating the credibility and flexibility of U.S. forces to address today’s complex, dynamic and unpredictable global security environment.
“The inaugural JTAC qualification course trains Moroccan students to direct combat aircraft, artillery and naval gunfire from forward positions,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Therron Bundick, chief of weapons and tactics for the 165th Air Support Operations Squadron.
During the exercise, U.S. Air Force JTACs assigned to the 165th ASOS, as well as Detachment 1 of the 2nd ASOS, joined U.S. Marine Corps JTACs with the 3rd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company to train alongside service members from Canada, Hungary and Morocco.
Live and simulated training events give students realistic close air support scenarios, and the diverse group accelerates the development of a professional JTAC cadre through the exchange of tactics and procedures.
The program marks a significant milestone in the development of the Moroccan joint fires capability and a foundational step toward a standardized, internationally interoperable JTAC capability aligned with modern coalition warfare requirements.
