The U.S., Libya and Italy host the Flintlock 2026 opening ceremony demonstration in Sirte, Libya, April 14, 2026. (Dylan Murakami/U.S. Air Force)
STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. forces launched simultaneous large-scale drills this week in Africa that included a groundbreaking exercise in war-torn Libya, where special operations troops are focused on bolstering their counterterrorism skills.
U.S. Africa Command’s Flintlock 2026 kicked off Monday with dual events in Ivory Coast and Libya, where troops from rival government factions are taking part in the multinational exercise.
“This exercise will forge stronger bonds between all those participating and demonstrate our shared commitments to confronting and degrading terrorism in Africa,” Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, AFRICOM’s deputy commander, said in a statement at the start of the drills.
The involvement of Libya has been touted by AFRICOM as a step forward for the country, which has been in disarray ever since the 2011 overthrow and death of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Over the past few years, the U.S. has stepped up efforts to forge closer ties with military officials in Libya, an oil-rich country where Russia also has sought a foothold.
Flintlock 2026 serves as a demonstration of AFRICOM’s growing partnership with Libyan military officers from both the west and east, according to Brennan.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, U.S. Africa Command deputy commander, arrives for the opening ceremony of Flintlock 2026 in Sirte, Libya on April 14, 2026. (Katelynn Moeller/U.S. Air Force)
Since the 2011 political unrest, control of Libya has been contested by an internationally recognized government in Tripoli and the Libyan National Army, which dominates much of the eastern part of the country.
The opposing factions remain deadlocked on how to go about holding presidential and parliamentary elections to form one unified government.
Still, the situation on the ground has improved dramatically from that of a few years ago. In 2019, AFRICOM was forced to evacuate troops from the country due to the deteriorating security situation as rival militias fought.
Brennan said a joint committee was key to bringing the two sides together for the exercise being held in Sirte. The coastal city has been the site of major battles between rival factions and at one point also was a stronghold for the Islamic State group in Libya.
In addition to the Flintlock drills, AFRICOM this week also started Africa Lion in Tunisia, with satellite training sites in Ghana, Morocco and Senegal.
With some 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations, it represents AFRICOM’s largest drill on the continent. Unlike Flintlock, which is focused on special operations units, Africa Lion centers more on conventional forces.
Among the main areas of focus are combined arms integration, command post simulations and practice in countering roadside bombs, according to the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa.
Both Flintlock and Africa Lion run through April.
