The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kingdom of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC), which will serve as a new training and technology testing centre in the continent.

A statement on Monday by AFRICOM said the pact, signed at the AFRICOM headquarters, would serve as a testbed for future wireless and sensing technologies.

It added that the partnership would provide assistance to African military partners in tackling terrorism through the use of drones and other emerging systems.

The command said AMTEC, which will be based in Tan-Tan, Morocco and operational by 2030, will comprise three core components, namely “a Multidomain Training Area, a Drone Academy and an Innovation and Experimentation Center.”

The U.S. AFRICOM said the Drone Academy would train operators, planners and instructors from Morocco and other African partner nations to strengthen their counterterrorism capabilities in order to address threats across West Africa.

It said the planned Multidomain Training Area (MTDA) would provide “dedicated physical space to ensure forces and systems are prepared to operate effectively in any environment.”

“The Innovation and Experimentation Centre will rapidly develop, test and evaluate emerging capabilities with a focus on low-cost, scalable solutions for counterterrorism and regional security operations,” it added.

Reacting, the commander of U.S. AFRICOM, General Dagvin Anderson, said the experimentation centre would increase readiness and advance capabilities of both nations.

“This partnership represents a great opportunity for U.S. and African defense industrial bases as well as academic institutions to experiment, innovate and develop scalable, adaptable solutions across emerging technologies,” Mr Anderson said.

The inspector general of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, General Mohammed Berrid, said Morocco’s existing facilities and skilled personnel were proof of the country’s readiness to implement the partnership.

“Morocco’s readiness, demonstrated by our existing facilities and skilled personnel, ensures rapid progress from concept to operational reality and provides the Morocco and U.S. industries with a reliable and capable partner for joint innovation and export opportunities,” Mr Berrid said.