Flintlock is an annual regional exercise among African, allied and U.S. counterterrorism forces, and has taken place since 2006.

Flintlock is directed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and sponsored by U.S. Africa Command.

Special Operations Command Forward - Northwest Africa conducts the Special Operations Forces exercise.

Occurring in nations across the Sahel region of Africa, the exercises develops capacity and collaboration among African security forces to protect civilian populations. Flintlock participation has included ground and air forces from over 16 countries across a broad spectrum of operations.

Exercise Flintlock is designed to foster regional cooperation to enable our African partners to stabilize regions of North and West Africa, while reducing sanctuary and support for violent extremist organizations (VEOs). FL17 provides increased interoperability, counterterrorism, and combat skills training while creating a venue for regional engagement among partner nations.

Past participants include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Canada, Tunisia, Italy, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States.