Mobile Ad Hoc Network Cloud Radio Links Allied Sensors in African Lion 26
U.S. Air Force personnel integrated the Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system at Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir, Morocco on May 4 2026 during African Lion 26. The proof-of-concept feeds partner sensors into a shared common operational picture and improves collective decision-making across more than 40 nations.
rediff.comU.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Caleb Hilton of the 355th Communications Squadron integrated the Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio system on May 4 2026 at Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir, Morocco during African Lion 26.
The exercise, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint drill, ran from April 20 to May 8 2026 and was led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. It drew more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations and took place in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
The MANET-Cloud High Mobility Radio proof-of-concept connected allied and partner sensors to a shared common operational picture.
Prior to this integration, partner sensors operated in separate networks that limited real-time data sharing. The new system creates a unified feed that allows faster collective decision-making. The capability was demonstrated and tested on the ground in Morocco before the exercise concluded on May 8 2026.
The integration triggers immediate follow-on requirements for partner nations to assess sensor compatibility with the MANET-Cloud architecture. U.S. Africa Command must now compile interoperability data from the 40-plus participating countries to determine which platforms can be added to the shared operational picture in future cycles.
African partner militaries that supplied sensors during the exercise will receive technical reports that dictate required firmware or hardware adjustments before the next iteration.
This marks the first documented use of the Mobile Ad Hoc Network–Cloud High Mobility Radio in a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored multinational exercise. African Lion has grown from a bilateral U.S.-Morocco training event into the command’s premier multilateral drill, with each cycle required to incorporate at least one new interoperability technology under current theater campaign guidance.
The 2026 proof-of-concept fulfills that mandate and sets the baseline configuration for sensor-fusion systems in African Lion 27.
Primary sources: U.S. Department of Defense · U.S. Africa Command
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