US conducts first live-fire missile test at new Morocco range

TAN-TAN, Morocco — U.S. Africa Command said American and Moroccan forces carried out their first live-ammunition test at a newly established military range in North Africa. The exercise took place from Aug. 3 to 7, 2026, at the Africa Multi-Domain Training and Testing Center near Tan-Tan in southern Morocco, AFRICOM said in a statement. The command described the test as a step in U.S.-Moroccan defense cooperation, allowing new technologies to be delivered quickly to joint forces. Covenant, a classified defense technology company under the U.S. Department of Defense, conducted a live launch of the "Cruise Anthem" missile at a new U.S. Army test facility designed to accelerate the development of low-cost munitions, according to the statement. The trial, carried out in the desert around Tan-Tan, is seen as part of efforts to expand the U.S. military footprint and joint training capacity in North Africa. No further details on the outcome of the test were immediately available.