The unprecedented exercise forms part of the United States’ expanded testing range initiative and was designed to evaluate long-range precision strike capabilities under operational conditions. It marks a significant step toward establishing AMTEC as a regional hub for military innovation, strategic cooperation and defense industrial development.
“The vision is to establish AMTEC as a regional hub for innovation, strategic cooperation and industrial development, as well as a center of excellence dedicated to the experimentation, validation, evaluation and development of advanced technologies,” said Colonel Zouhair El Hamdani, the Royal Armed Forces officer in charge of coordination, in a statement released by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
“This first live-fire demonstration marks a significant milestone in turning that vision into reality,” he added.
During the exercise, Moroccan and U.S. personnel established an expeditionary test site and conducted a live-fire launch alongside engineers and technicians from a defense industry partner.
The operation tested communication systems, evaluated the maneuverability of various technical components, and collected critical data on weather conditions and targeting.
According to U.S. military officials, the trials are intended to accelerate the development of new operational capabilities.
“Morocco’s partnership provides a crucial venue that accelerates readiness for the U.S. joint force and our African partners,” said AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson. “AMTEC demonstrates that trusted partnerships are how we help tackle shared security challenges together.”
While AFRICOM’s statement did not identify the industrial partner or the system involved, the Associated Press reported that the company involved was U.S. startup Covenant Industries.
The weapon reportedly tested was the Anthem cruise missile, a low-cost, long-range system designed to provide modular precision-strike capabilities.
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Beyond the technical demonstration, the exercise highlights a new model of cooperation between the armed forces and the defense industry through the integration of innovative private-sector companies.
Project officials say one of the key objectives is to shorten the time between testing and operational deployment.
“AMTEC is about turning innovation into operational advantage,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Corbett Baxter, exercise planner with the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
As AMTEC continues to develop, the center is expected to expand multinational training capabilities by integrating emerging technologies such as autonomous systems, advanced wireless communications and next-generation sensors.
The demonstration also reinforces Morocco’s position as a key regional security actor and a growing platform for military cooperation in Africa.
As the center reaches full operational maturity, it is expected to become a preferred location for testing and validating advanced capabilities in environments that are difficult to replicate elsewhere, while further strengthening interoperability among partner nations.
