Army Tests Shared Sensor Network With 40 Nations in African Lion 26 Exercise
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll received a briefing on an innovation cell proof of concept that linked allied and partner sensors into a common operational picture during African Lion 26 in Agadir, Morocco on May 1 2026. The test improves interoperability and collective decision-making for U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise which ran from April 20 to May 8 across four African nations.
rediff.comAGADIR, Morocco — Hon. Dan Driscoll, the 26th Secretary of the Army, received an innovation cell briefing and addressed joint operations center personnel on May 1 2026 during African Lion 26 at Southern Zone Headquarters here.
The exercise, U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, ran from April 20 to May 8 2026 and was led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. It involved more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations and was hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
The proof of concept tested the connection of allied and partner sensors to feed into a shared common operational picture.
Prior to the test, partner sensor data operated in separate systems that limited real-time collective decision-making. The innovation cell demonstration created a single shared operational picture that allows participating forces to view the same data simultaneously. The change took effect for the duration of the exercise which concluded on May 8 2026.
The demonstrated capability triggers several operational requirements. Partner nations must now evaluate integration standards for their sensor platforms into future shared networks. U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa will incorporate lessons from the proof of concept into planning for African Lion 27.
The improved interoperability also accelerates data-sharing timelines for participating African nations and global allies that previously relied on slower, bilateral exchanges. Congress receives annual reporting on exercise outcomes that can inform future security assistance funding levels for the participating countries.
This marks the first documented proof of concept for a multi-nation sensor-to-common-operational-picture link inside African Lion. The exercise has grown steadily in scale since its inception, expanding both participant numbers and technical objectives each year under U.S. Africa Command direction.
The Department of Defense release documenting the briefing contains the official record of the test parameters and participating nations.
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