U.S.-Morocco crisis: Major exercise canceled over W. Sahara
The Moroccan Air Force F-5F Tiger II African Lion-2010, major exercise in North Africa. A Moroccan F-5F refuels from a KC-130 provided by U.S. Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234, here, May 8. The C-130, navigated by Staff Sgt. Brett Trahan, VMGR-234, is participating in AFRICAN LION 2010. Trahan, who has spent 15 years in the U.S. Marine Active Reserves, has served as the lead planner for the aviation portion of AFRICAN LION for the past four years. AFRICAN LION 2010 is an annually scheduled, joint, combined U.S.-Moroccan exercise. It brings together nearly 1,000 U.S. service members from 16 locations throughout Europe and North America with more than 1,000 members of the Moroccan military, and is the largest exercise in U.S. Africa Command's area of action. AFRICAN LION, which is coordinated by U.S. Marine Forces Africa, is designed to promote interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation’s military tactics, techniques and procedures. The exercise is scheduled to end on or around June 9. All U.S. forces will return to their home bases in the United States and Europe at the conclusion of the exercise.
Morocco and the United States have been
plunged into a crisis that led to the cancellation of a major military
exercise.
