As part of Moroccan-US cooperation in disaster management, a synthetic exercise took place on Sunday at the military port of Agadir, to assess the responsiveness of the Royal Armed Forces Rescue and Assistance Unit (USS-FAR) to a suicide drone attack presenting a crisis situation linked to chemical risks.
According to Lieutenant Hossam El Khazi, Deputy Commander of the USS-FAR, the exercise scenario involved two unmanned suicide drones containing an explosive device targeting a chemical warehouse.
Part of the combined Moroccan-American “African Lion 2023” exercise being held in accordance with the High Instructions of His Majesty the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the FAR, the exercise also involves the discovery of improvised explosive devices that caused an explosion and injured dozens of people, he told MAP.
During the simulation exercise, the USS FAR explosive ordnance disposal team carried out a preliminary reconnaissance using robots and sophisticated equipment to locate the IEDs safely and accurately.
This was followed by the neutralization of suicide drones, risk assessment, and the triage and regrouping of victims.
An EOD team was also deployed to carry out search operations, in addition to detecting the site of the disaster and carrying out emergency decontamination of elements of the explosive ordnance disposal team following the presence of chemicals.
The USS FAR also neutralized and destroyed the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and took chemical samples, before treating the victims and opening a criminal investigation.
For his part, the representative of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Kelly Veenden, said he was pleased to take part in this exercise, which is part of the strengthening of the partnership and age-old joint cooperation between the US Armed Forces and the FAR.
The aim of the exercise is to assess the USS FAR’s ability to react to a CBRN attack, in close cooperation with American players in the field of Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, Chemical and Explosive (NRBCE) response.
On the sidelines of the exercise, media representatives were given a guided tour of the Royal Navy’s “Tarik Ibn Ziyad” multi-mission frigate and a U.S. Marine Corps Forces frigate.
“African Lion” is a combined joint exercise organized each year by the Royal Navy and the US Armed Forces.
The exercise, which will run until June 16, will take place in seven regions of Morocco: Agadir, Tan-Tan, Mehbes, Tiznit, Kénitra, Benguérir and Tifnit, remains an annual event that contributes to consolidating Moroccan-American military cooperation, as well as strengthening exchanges between the armed forces of different countries with a view to promoting security and stability in the region.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse