African Lion exercise 2021. Conditional adversary with Russian weapons
Participants of KSHU African Lion 2021 at work. Still from video from Defense News
On June 7, Morocco began the African Lion 2021 international command post exercise. Until June 18, several countries in the region and the US Army Southern European Task Force (SETAF) will work out interaction in solving a variety of combat training tasks. Recently it became known that one of the episodes of the exercise provided for a breakthrough of the air defense of a mock enemy, equipped with Russian-made equipment.
Legend and episodes
KSHU "African Lion-2021" is held at the Moroccan military base in Agadir. The leading role in these events is played by the US Army. Together with her, the organization of combat work is practiced by the armed forces of Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal. Several countries in the region sent their observers.
According to the scenario of the exercise, the international military group is opposing a developed and well-equipped enemy. Both staff actions and maneuvers at the training grounds are envisaged. The practical part of the exercises takes place at Moroccan training grounds, and some operations are carried out on the territory of the fictitious states of Nehone and Rowand; they were stationed in the northeastern part of Algeria. It is curious that Algeria itself does not participate in the CSU.
It is reported that during African Lion 2021, the international headquarters is working out issues of joint work of ground forces and military aviation several armies. Exercise organizers and participants regularly publish various news, photo and video materials. One of these publications attracted special attention of the foreign press and specialists.
Suppression of defense
On June 12, the public was shown selected moments from the work of the headquarters, which was at war with the conditional enemy. The video posted shows a command post with a large number of participants in the exercise and observers from different countries. Orders and reports are heard in a tense working atmosphere; certain actions are carried out.
On the screens on the left, you can see the area of the conditional operation. Still from video from Defense News
Information of an operational nature got into the frame several times. Fragments of maps of areas in which conditional battles are taking place were shown. In particular, you can consider where the two fictional states are.
Against the background of active staff work, a voice-over reports on the strike against the air defense objects of the imaginary enemy. The target for him was two S-400 installations. There was no exact information on the results of the strike at the time of the report, but it was expected in the near future. The forces and means involved in such a strike are not specified. In addition, it is unclear exactly how the airstrike was carried out - solely in the form of orders and reports on their implementation, or with the actual flight of aircraft in specified areas.
Unusual target
Within the framework of "African Lion-2021", the participating countries are working out, among other things, the issues of suppressing the air defense of a well-equipped enemy. From the point of view of the main tasks, this episode of the exercises is unremarkable. However, the conditional goal chosen raises questions. As far as is known, the fight against the modern Russian-made anti-aircraft system has not previously been worked out in the framework of the North African exercises.
Now, several countries in the region were able to familiarize themselves with an up-to-date sample of military equipment. Moreover, they studied the issues of identifying the S-400 anti-aircraft systems and their subsequent destruction. However, the details of the conditional raid remain unknown. The KSHU participants do not specify the composition of the air defense of the conditional enemy and their forces to destroy it - as well as the losses of both sides.
Another map with non-existent states. Still from video from Defense News
The effectiveness of such training is also questionable. It is unlikely that the United States and other participating countries have all the necessary data and can realistically simulate the full-fledged operation of the S-400. If this is not done, the result of the teachings may be far from what is possible in reality.
Geography of supplies
According to the legend of the exercises, the attacked S-400 air defense systems belonged to one of the conditional North African states. It is obvious that a fictitious country can be armed in any way, and the main thing is that its armed forces correspond to the scenario and plans of the organizers of the exercises. However, when drawing up such plans, it is necessary to take into account the real state of affairs and the characteristic features of the regions.
It should be recalled that to date, the S-400 system has been adopted by only three countries. This technique is available in Russia, China and Turkey. In the near future, the transfer of the first products to India is expected, in accordance with a previously signed contract. The delivery of complexes to Belarus is also very likely, but such an agreement has not yet been signed.
African countries have not yet ordered the S-400 systems. Several years ago, the foreign press reported that Morocco and Egypt were interested in such technology. In the near future, negotiations on a future contract could begin. However, as far as we know, it never came to that.
S-300PMU2 complex of the Algerian army. In August 2020, these products were rumored as the new S-400. Photo Twitter.com/kmldial70
However, rumors circulate abroad about the presence of the S-400 in some armies and armed formations in North Africa. So, for several years, information has regularly appeared about the transfer of such air defense systems to the Algerian army. The first messages of this kind appeared back in 2015 and have been repeated regularly since then. The last surge of interest in the topic was observed in March this year. As it turned out, all these messages were untrue. Their authors were mistaken or deliberately confused the new S-400 systems with the older S-300PMU2 systems that were actually supplied to Algeria.
In August last year, it was reported about the possible appearance of modern complexes at the Libyan National Army. Poor quality photographs were cited as evidence, which allegedly showed S-400 components in the distance. Soon the Pentagon officially denied this information, although it recalled that Russia is interested in strengthening the LNA.
Interpretation problems
In general, the considered episode of the African Lion 2021 exercise looks extremely interesting. The US Army and the armed forces of less developed states are conducting exercises on a regional scale and practicing the destruction of Russian-made air defense systems. At the same time, a system that was absent in the region was taken as a conditional target. What ideas were behind this episode of teachings and how they should be interpreted is a big question.
Perhaps the Pentagon planned to demonstrate to friendly countries its ability to counteract and successfully destroy the most modern air defense systems. In a similar way, the United States could once again show friends the need to continue cooperation with them. In addition, it could be an advertisement for weapons and equipment of American design. The exercises showed that it is quite capable of fighting the Russian air defense systems, and therefore it is necessary to buy it.
"Proof" of the S-400's presence in Libya, August 2020. A radar station and an anti-aircraft complex launcher are supposedly visible on the horizon. Photo SMM Libya
In addition, potential buyers of the S-400 in the region received an unambiguous message. The United States hints that it knows how to deal with such systems and is ready to teach this to friendly countries. As a result, the purchase of Russian air defense systems does not make sense.
However, you can find a simpler explanation without any hints and messages. The forces of the conditional enemy for the "African Lion-2021" were formed without a clear reference to specific countries or organizations, and also "equipped" with modern non-American materiel. Thanks to this, the conditional enemy looks convincing enough and justifies the need for joint work of several armies at once.
Unanswered Questions
Unfortunately, most of the information about the most interesting episode of the African Lion exercise in 2021 has not yet been published. It is known that international forces attacked the air defense of a mock enemy, but the course of these events and their results are unknown. Such information would show both the potential of the CSU participants and their ability to objectively assess threats and their actions.
It should be noted that the exercises in Morocco have not yet been completed. This means that the joint headquarters will have to solve new combat missions and send conditional troops into battle with a conditional enemy. Accordingly, new interesting episodes of one kind or another may take place in the coming days. It cannot be ruled out that modern Russian models will again appear in them - and again in the role of enemy weapons.
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