Tan-Tan to host US military drone countermeasure tests

The US Army will conduct field tests in Tan-Tan, Morocco, during 2027 to evaluate up to 15 specialized anti-drone systems. The initiative, led by the US Army Special Operations Command forward element in Africa (SETAF-AF) in partnership with the Ground Tactical Advanced Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), aims to enhance the protection of troops and military installations from unmanned aerial threats.

Experimental demonstrations are scheduled for February and March 2027, followed by operational evaluations in April and May, coinciding with the ‘African Lion 2027’ maneuvers. The testing will focus on five key defensive categories: mobile and integrated defense equipment, drone detection technologies, kinetic interception systems, electronic warfare and jamming capabilities, and passive protection solutions.

The program seeks to identify the most effective technologies for rapid integration, with a goal of deploying successful systems to soldiers within 180 days. Morocco was selected for these tests due to its training environment, which offers relatively less congested airspace.