The Micro Journeys Inside Access podcast continues its live coverage at African Lion 2026. This time, host Daniel Marrujo chats with Lieutenant Colonel Vernon Logan - SETAF-AF Communications Directorate, to learn more about the communication efforts behind the event and AFRICOM.
People tend to think of a communications team as the guys with the cell phones or the satellite communications. But as Col. Logan shares, there’s so much more to it behind the scenes. The team at SETAFserves as the communications backbone for everything happening at African Lion. From cellular coverage to satellite communications, he reveals just how much planning goes into keeping thousands of participants connected across Morocco.
Along with technologies like drones, surveillance, and reconnaissance, the SETAF team is responsible for network protection, ensuring everyone, on-site and beyond, remains connected. As the conversation deepens, he walks through details, such as the tools used to map cellular coverage, the growing role of satellite communications like Starlink, and the push toward next-generation capabilities—quantum, encryption, and interoperable systems—needed to keep pace with partners across Africa and Europe. They even discuss the humble side of communication, how real-time translation technology bridges the language gap, and the role cybersecurity plays in protecting everything from radios to email.
What You'll Discover in This Episode
00:53 — Col. Logan explains the team's communications efforts for African Lion 2026
01:25 — Col. Logan shares how the cell phone coverage analysis tool helps planners know exactly where connectivity will and won't exist across Morocco
02:53 — The push for faster, more secure communications is tied directly to the speed of the kill chain
03:34 — Staying ahead of adversaries means investing in future technologies like quantum and advanced encryption while maintaining interoperability with partner nations and on-site team
05:28 — Real-time translation technology converts Arabic or French to English in seconds, transforming coalition communication with Moroccan and African partners
06:54 — Defensive cyber and email security fall under the same communications directorate, protecting the information decision-makers rely on