U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa announced a partnership with the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate to test emerging drone systems in Africa and deliver them to soldiers within 180 days.
The command’s first accelerated capability event is scheduled for spring 2027 in Tan-Tan, Morocco. It will focus on counter-unmanned aircraft systems and force protection, targeting capability gaps in protecting early-entry command posts and operating locations against small UAS.
Africa offers an open spectrum, uncongested airspace and diverse terrain that training ranges in the United States and Europe cannot easily match. These conditions allow soldiers to validate solutions in theater and scale them across the service.
Operating under the Army Pathway for Innovation and Technology Office, the acquisition directorate embeds personnel within Army service component commands. These teams translate urgent commander priorities into executable requirements, giving field commanders access to acquisition authorities at the tactical edge. The teams already operate within U.S. Army Europe and Africa, U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Army Central.
Army Col. Christopher Hill, director of the Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate, described the organization as the Army’s answer for putting innovative solutions in the hands of the warfighter.
“[Army service component commands have] always had priorities, they’ve always had capability gaps, but the two things they’ve never had is acquisition authority and research, development, test and evaluation dollars,” he said.
Because the directorate maintains visibility across multiple commands, Hill said its personnel can align modernization efforts, maximize funding and transition proven theater solutions Army wide.
The unit assigned a team to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa this summer to link immediate operational needs with rapid acquisition resources. Together, the commands will use the accelerated capability event framework as a fast-track pathway to identify, evaluate and deliver field-ready technology.
Through a three-phase model, submission and preparation, soldier-led demonstrations and follow-on operational evaluation, capability events deliver rapid solutions within an accelerated acquisition timeline.
By Army CPT Tucker Chase, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa
