The US Army’s Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) is partnering with the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD) to test emerging counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) technologies in Morocco and deliver them to soldiers within 180 days.
The command’s first accelerated capability event, or ACE, is scheduled for spring 2027 and focus on targeting Group 1–3 small UAS.
The US Army said that Africa offers an “open spectrum, uncongested airspace and diverse terrain that training ranges in the United States and Europe cannot easily match”.
SETAF-AF will first hold a soldier-led demonstration in February and March 2027 in Tan-Tan, Morocco, followed by an operational assessment in April and May during African Lion 2027. G-TEAD will validate up to 15 solutions with Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, one of the US Army’s modernisation enterprises.
The C-UAS ACE is structured around five capability categories: an integrated fly‑away kit and four subcategories focused on small UAS detection, kinetic defeat, nonkinetic defeat and passive protection.
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Image: U.S. Army Spc. Eric Salmon controls a weapon system while participating in autonomous tactical vehicle training during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, April 26, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Samuel Wagner)
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