African Lion 2025 planning conference for Tunisia spoke concludes in Vicenza

Back to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy – Planning for African Lion 2025 (AL25), a multinational exercise set to take place in Tunisia next spring, moved forward during a mid planning conference held Nov. 12-15, 2024.

The exercise, scheduled for April 21 - May 2, 2025, will take place in multiple locations across Tunisia, including Tunis, Bizerte and the Ben Ghilouf Training Area (BGTA). It will feature diverse training opportunities, ranging from academic-style courses to high-intensity military operations.

"This will be the most extensive exercise we've hosted, and we're very excited to work with our U.S. partners and allies," said Tunisian Senior Col. Mguidich Mejid, the AL25 exercise director.

AL25 builds joint, multinational readiness while strengthening partnerships between the U.S. military, the Tunisian Armed Forces, allied nations and partner militaries. The exercise will also include events in Morocco, Senegal and Ghana, involving approximately 8,000 participants.

The conference brought together nearly 100 participants, including senior leaders such as Mejid and others from Tunisia as well as the U.S., to work on exercise details. U.S. Army Col. Drew Conover, director of exercises (G7) for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), praised the level of collaboration.

"We've had the pleasure to welcome the very top Tunisian military leaders who work directly with the Tunisian government," Conover said. "They sent us the best, most important leaders to make sure this exercise is a success."

AL25 activities in Tunisia will span multiple locations, offering varied and specialized training. Tunis and Bouficha will host academic-style courses on public affairs, rule of law, inspector general training, and air subject matter expert exchanges.

Bizerte will feature explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) training and counter-improved explosive device (C-IED) operations.

BGTA will host advanced military exercises, including air ground integration (AGI) and high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) operations. A field artillery unit from the New Hampshire National Guard will conduct the HIMARS drills. The area will also showcase multinational airborne operations led by the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

AL25’s broad scope reflects the growing importance of multinational collaboration in addressing regional security challenges. In addition to Tunisia, events held in Morocco, Senegal and Ghana expand the reach of African Lion, involving military personnel and units from across the globe.

The final phase of planning for AL25 will take place in Tunisia in January, with a focus on refining operational details to ensure the successful execution of the exercise’s objectives.

About African Lion

AL25 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, combined annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner-nation forces. AL25 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.

For more information on Exercise African Lion, please visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/africanlionex

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe & Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS