MARCH 16, 2026 – Approximately 40 nations and more than 300 senior leaders and personnel will participate in the African Land Forces Summit 2026 (ALFS 26), scheduled for March 22–24, 2026, in Rome, Italy. ALFS is an annual forum that convenes African land force commanders alongside U.S. and partner-nation military leaders, as well as representatives from academia, government, and industry, to address shared security challenges.
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) will host the 2026 summit. Since its inception, ALFS has been held across the United States and Africa, including in the U.S. (2010 and 2022), Uganda (2012), Senegal (2015), Tanzania (2016), Malawi (2017), Nigeria (2018), Botswana (2019), Ethiopia (2020), Côte d’Ivoire (2023), Zambia (2024), and Ghana (2025). The Rome summit marks the first time this premier forum will be hosted in Europe.
The theme for ALFS 26, “Empowering shared security through intelligence, innovation, and industry,” reflects a growing emphasis on connecting military leadership with private-sector expertise. The summit is designed to bridge the gap between defense institutions and industry partners, enabling collaborative approaches to modern security requirements.
Over the course of the two-day event, participants will engage with a distinguished group of defense, industry, and academic thought leaders to explore strategies that strengthen regional stability and reinforce a framework of shared security among participating nations.
“The 2026 African Land Forces Summit in Rome represents a significant milestone as a U.S. Army-led forum intentionally designed to connect African senior leaders with global industry expertise,” said Maj. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, commanding general of SETAF-AF. “This summit emphasizes the integration of dual-use technology and capital investors with African land forces as we are looking to address an evolving security environment through industry and innovation.”
A key component of the summit will be engagement with capital investors, who will join defense leaders and industry innovators to discuss emerging solutions and technologies that support modern land forces. These discussions will focus in part on dual-use technologies that provide both civilian and defense applications. “Our goal is to create an environment where meaningful exchanges between defense leaders, industry innovators, and investors lead to tangible cooperation, shared responsibility, and a more secure future for both America and the African continent,” Gainey added.
By fostering non-traditional partnerships and strengthening collaboration across military, industry, and investment communities, SETAF-AF and its African partners aim to build a more resilient, technologically advanced security environment that promotes long-term peace and stability for Africa and the United States.
Media Contact: Neil A. Ruggiero U.S Army Southern European Task Force, Africa – Public Affairs: setaf_media@army.mil
Story by Neil Ruggiero
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa