The Indian Army recently participated as an observer in Exercise African Lion 2025, the largest U.S.-led military drill on the African continent. This marks a significant advancement in India’s defense diplomacy and strategic engagement with African nations. The exercise primarily took place in Morocco, extending its reach to Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, and brought together over 10,000 troops from 27 different countries, including essential NATO allies.
During the exercise, representatives from the Indian Army’s Headquarters Army Training Command (HQ ARTRAC) and the College of Military Engineering (CME) observed a range of sophisticated operational drills. A highlight was the deployment and firing of the U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which can strike targets at distances up to 300 kilometers. Observers from India closely monitored coordinated responses to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as complex counter-improvised explosive device (IED) scenarios. These segments demonstrated the high level of interoperability and joint operational readiness among the participating forces.
Exercise African Lion 2025 commenced on April 14 in Tunisia and included a variety of activities such as command post exercises, field training sessions, live-fire operations, and humanitarian civic assistance missions. These missions encompassed medical, dental, and veterinary outreach programs, emphasizing the exercise’s key objective of enhancing readiness and building crisis response capabilities among multinational forces.
India’s observer status in this exercise signifies its growing commitment to strengthening defense ties with African nations. For Indian military planners, the exercise offered valuable insights into large-scale joint operations that feature hybrid warfare tactics and require multinational coordination—elements that are becoming increasingly relevant in today’s security landscape.
This participation aligns with India’s broader strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation across Africa. Noteworthy efforts include the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT), various capacity-building programs for African militaries, and the establishment of maritime surveillance infrastructure in the western Indian Ocean. This initiative includes facilities in Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
India’s involvement in Exercise African Lion 2025 underscores its ambition to be regarded as a credible and capable partner in both regional and global security frameworks. Furthermore, it signifies India’s intent to counter the growing strategic competition in Africa, particularly from China, while reinforcing its partnerships with Western and African allies.
