US Army sees Morocco as ideal proving ground for drone defenses

The Army is looking to test systems and gear in African that are tailored to protect troops from small drones that have been reshaping warfare. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, right, commander of U.S. Africa Command, and Moroccan Gen. Mohammed Berrid, left, watch a soldier brief them during a site visit in Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 8, 2026. The Army’s Southern European Task Force, Africa plans to test new counter-drone systems in Morocco in 2027 and get them to soldiers within 180 days. (Christopher Sanchez/U.S. Army) The Army is looking to Africa as a test bed to help it fast-track systems and gear tailored to protect troops from the sorts of small drones that have been reshaping warfare.

Countering drones is the No. 1 innovation priority of Maj. Gen. Matthew Brown, commander of the Army’s Southern European Task Force, Africa. He spoke at a recent media roundtable in Washington. Aiming to get anti-drone systems to troops within 180 days, SETAF-AF announced last week that it is teaming with the service’s new Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate to evaluate tech from over a dozen suppliers early next year in Tan-Tan, Morocco. While the U.S. military has long sought defenses against small, relatively low-cost drones, such systems have proved to be a pernicious threat as they have gained wider use among conventional forces and militant