Building Partnerships through Trust: African Lion 2025 Shines Light on US-Africa Alliance

Strategic Insights -

African Lion 2025 (AL25), the largest annual military exercise in Africa, has come to a close with a renewed focus on building partnerships through trust. Led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, the exercise brought together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies, and about 10,000 troops. The 11-day exercise took place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, and aimed to enhance the ability of forces to work together in complex, multi-domain operations.

Key Takeaways:

  • African Lion 2025 (AL25) was the largest annual military exercise in Africa, bringing together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies, and about 10,000 troops.
  • The exercise was led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command.
  • The 11-day exercise focused on improving tactical proficiency, small-unit lethality, and interoperability among partner forces.
  • Maneuver Advisory Team (MAT) 2112, 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2nd SFAB), embedded with the Senegalese Army's 32nd Battalion to enhance tactical effectiveness and reinforce enduring military partnerships.
  • The team's focus on relationship-building reflected the long-term goals of the SFAB mission: empowering partners, strengthening institutions, and fostering regional stability.
  • The value of the team's work extends beyond any single training event, with successful advising relationships supporting long-term regional stability.

Statistics:

  • Over 50 nations participated in African Lion 2025 (AL25), including seven NATO allies and about 10,000 troops.
  • The exercise took place across four countries: Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.
  • The 11-day exercise focused on improving tactical proficiency, small-unit lethality, and interoperability among partner forces.
  • Maneuver Advisory Team (MAT) 2112, 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2nd SFAB), embedded with the Senegalese Army's 32nd Battalion for the exercise.
  • The team's focus on relationship-building reflected the long-term goals of the SFAB mission: empowering partners, strengthening institutions, and fostering regional stability.

Sources:

  • U.S. Army
  • U.S. Africa Command
  • SETAF-AF
  • African Lion 2025 Feature Page on DVIDS