Army Tests Mobile Ad Hoc Network in African Lion 26 Exercise
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll received a capabilities brief on a Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system during African Lion 26 in Agadir, Morocco on May 1 2026. The proof-of-concept demonstration connected allied and partner sensors into a shared common operational picture and advances interoperability among more than 40 nations.
thesouthafrican.comAGADIR, Morocco — U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll received a briefing on a Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system from technical advisors and project managers on May 1 2026 at Southern Zone Headquarters during African Lion 26.
The demonstration, presented by U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan G. Duncan, U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Caleb Hilton and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ramon N. Leonguerrero of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, tested the connection of allied and partner sensors to feed data into a shared common operational picture.
African Lion 26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise. It ran from April 20 to May 8 2026 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia and included more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations.
The test shifts from prior disconnected national sensor networks to a unified operational picture available to participating forces. The proof-of-concept system integrates high-mobility radios with cloud-based networking to enable real-time data sharing across partner militaries. The change took effect for the duration of the exercise and will inform future deployments of the technology.
The demonstration triggers follow-on decisions on scaling the Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system for additional U.S. Africa Command partner exercises. It requires participating nations to assess integration of their sensors into the shared architecture before the next iteration of the exercise.
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa must now compile performance data from the proof-of-concept to support procurement and training requests for allied forces. The results also feed directly into U.S. Africa Command’s annual planning cycle for collective security programs.
This is the latest in a series of innovation-focused demonstrations embedded in African Lion exercises. The 2026 iteration placed particular emphasis on partner-led regional security through technology integration, per the U.S. Department of Defense release. U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa has led the exercise since its expansion to multiple host nations.
Primary sources: U.S. Department of Defense · U.S. Africa Command
Coverage spread
Substrate’s article above is written from the primary record. Below: how mainstream outlets reported the same event.
No mainstream coverage of this story has surfaced yet.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
BBC NewsTrump Meets Advisers to Decide on Iran Ceasefire Extension
President Trump said he is holding a Situation Room meeting to make a final decision on a possible deal with Iran. The proposed agreement would extend the ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
middleeasteye.netTrump to Decide on Iran Deal in Situation Room Meeting
President Trump said Friday he is heading into the Situation Room to make a final determination on a potential agreement with Iran. The proposed deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls and require destruction of Iran's highly-enriched uranium.
realitytea.comTrump Says U.S. Will Lift Iran Naval Blockade After Nuclear and Hormuz Pledges
President Trump stated the U.S. will end its naval blockade of Iran once Tehran commits to forgoing nuclear weapons and opens the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping. The announcement came via Truth Social and a live statement.