U.S. and Moroccan forces completed the inaugural live-fire test at the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) near Tan-Tan in southern Morocco. Conducted between August 3 and August 7, the exercise featured the launch of a low-cost, long-range cruise missile, marking the operational activation of the newly established weapons testing facility.
AMTEC was established under the U.S. Army’s Test Range Expansion Initiative, alongside U.S.-based sites such as Dugway Proving Ground, Yuma Proving Ground, and Camp Grayling. The program is designed to provide private defense start-ups direct access to military testing environments, bypassing traditional procurement delays to validate emerging hardware under real desert conditions.
During the demonstration, U.S. and Moroccan personnel constructed an expeditionary launch site and collaborated with defense industry engineers to evaluate the unnamed missile system. Technical assessments focused on communications infrastructure, wing deployment, launch trolley performance, and atmospheric conditions to refine flight algorithms. Specific details regarding the missile’s manufacturer, operational range, speed, and unit cost were not disclosed.
Moroccan Col. Zouhair El Hamdani stated that the initiative aims to establish AMTEC as a regional hub for technological innovation, experimentation, and industrial development. Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command, noted that the joint facility accelerates operational readiness and strengthens strategic cooperation between the two nations. Army Col. Michael M. Gacheru added that the site will support the integration of emerging technologies into multinational training environments.
U.S. Africa Command indicated that future testing schedules at the Tan-Tan site will expand to encompass long-range strike systems, autonomous platforms, wireless communications, and advanced sensing technologies.
