Jordan
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan gained independence in 1946. In 1948 Jordan declared war on the state of Israel following its declaration of independence, subsequently occupying the West Bank. Jordan fought Israel in 1967 during the Six Day War, where it lost the West Bank, and also participated in the Yom Kippur War against Israel six years later, in 1973. The country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Recently, the country has faced challenges from a large influx of refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria, as well as from Iraq. Jordan currently allows U.S. and European forces to train members of the Syrian opposition within its borders. Internally, since the outbreak of the Arab Spring, the government has faced opposition from Islamist forces, leading to the replacement of several prime ministers along with promises of reform.
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Population7,930,491
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Fit for Service2,823,692
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Military EXHD9.5% of GDP
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GDP$31.21 Billion
Americans, Jordanians Express Solidarity Through Exercise Eager Lion
During Exercise Eager Lion 2015, Jordanian and U.S. forces are training shoulder-to-shoulder to be prepared for whatever challenges await. The exercise aims to create “muscle memory” for personnel from different cultures who may need to work together seamlessly as one team if a crisis calls for a joint response. “There is fighting going on in […]
China May Be Selling Armed Drones to Jordan
Jordan, one of America’s partners in the fight against the Islamic State, is reaching out to China to acquire armed drones — at least according to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. “I am now aware that China is presently in Jordan to discuss operations, logistics and maintenance associated with the urgent sale of weaponized unmanned systems,” […]
Arab Chiefs To Meet on Libya Intervention
An unpublicized meeting by Arab chiefs of staff will take place in Cairo on May 18 to coordinate plans for a Libyan intervention, an Arab League source revealed. France and Italy may also play a role, the source said. The meeting, which will include high-ranking military personnel from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab […]
Jordan Hosts 18-Country Military Drill Amid Wars, Tensions
Jordan has kicked off a two-week military exercise with some 10,000 participants from 18 countries, many members of a U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State group, which controls much of neighboring Iraq and Syria. The kingdom is hosting the “Eager Lion” drill for the fifth year, but amid dramatically different circumstances. Since the last […]
State Department Approves $21 Million Sale of One UH-60M Helicopter to Jordan
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Jordan for a UH-60M VIP Blackhawk helicopter and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $21 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Jordan […]
Sale of U.S. Arms Fuels the Wars of Arab States
To wage war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is using F-15 fighter jets bought fromBoeing. Pilots from the United Arab Emirates are flying Lockheed Martin’s F-16 to bomb both Yemen and Syria. Soon, the Emirates are expected to complete a deal with General Atomics for a fleet of Predator drones to run spying missions in their […]
Raytheon Awarded $9 Million to Procure TOW Missiles for the Royal Jordanian Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $9,168,750 modification (P00030) to foreign military sales contract W31P4Q-12-C-0265 to procure tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) missiles for the Marine Corps and the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Fiscal 2010, 2014, and2015 other procurement and other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $10,837,500 were obligated at the time […]
Syrian Rebel Takeover of Border Crossing Severs Ancient Link to Jordan
The ancient road to Damascus that passes through here, a route plied by traders for thousands of years, is now severed. The government border crossing between Jordan and Syria has been sealed after the heavy fighting, barrel bombing and wild looting that took place last week at the checkpoint and nearby trade zone. The crossing, […]
Iraqi Tribes ‘Offered Guns and Training by Jordan’
Jordan has offered guns and training to tribal leaders in western and northern Iraq in an effort to counter the Islamic State group and offset Iranian influence in the country, sources have told al-Araby al-Jadeed. Leaders say that Jordan recently has received delegations from Anbar, and that the iniative is supported by Saudi Arabia. The […]
Jordan Military Plane Crash Kills Pilot, Trainee
A Jordanian pilot and an Iraqi trainee were killed when a light training aircraft crashed during a routine military excercise on Monday, the Jordanian army said. A T67 “Firefly aircraft crashed Monday morning, killing a Jordanian lieutenant colonel and his Iraqi trainee, during a routine training excercise” said Colonel Mamdouh al-Amiri, spokesman for the Jordanian […]
Israel Shows Its Edge as Arrow Sees Action for the First Time
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) confirmed that the Syrian armed forces fired surface-to-air missiles (SAM) against Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets late Thursday evening. The S-200 missiles were fired in response to the IAF aircraft striking Hezbollah targets in Syria, and one of those S-200 missiles was intercepted by the Israeli Arrow missile defense system. […]
Covering the Bases: Reassessing U.S. Military Deployments in Turkey After the July 2016 Coup d’État
Download the full report here (PDF). The Republic of Turkey has been a reliable staging point for U.S. forces for more than six decades. Turkish bases have historically provided the U.S. military easy access to multiple theaters without having to build new infrastructure or forge new agreements. Today, American forces in Turkey are targeting the […]
The Saudi-led Coalition Is Not Ready to Fight the Islamic State
President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited Saudi Arabia last week hoping to reassure nervous Gulf allies that American security commitments remain in force in the wake of last year’s Iran nuclear deal. In exchange, the White House was hoping to encourage the Gulf states to play a more active role in the […]
IDEX 2015: Middle East Arms Market Remains Strong
With the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) and an increasingly aggressive Iran, Gulf Arab states are spending billions to improve their defenses and better protect their energy infrastructure. Nowhere has this been more evident than last month’s International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi. The region’s largest defense exhibition attracted officials from […]
French Deployments in the Middle East and North Africa
France is conducting multiple operations against Islamist militant groups throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This map displays the largest French deployments underway in the region. View the full map here. Sahel As part of Operation Barkhane, the French have 3,000 troops deployed across the Sahel region. Their mission is assist the countries of Mauritania, Mali, […]
The Coalition’s High Wire Act in Syria: Striking ISIS and Avoiding the Regime
When coalition pilots penetrated Syrian airspace early Tuesday morning, it was unclear if they would just strike Islamic State targets or clash with the Syrian regime. Though Syria was warned prior to the attack, it was unclear if Bashir al-Assad would follow through on his threat to consider any operation in Syria as an act of aggression. In fact, […]
Category Name
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QME
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↑
Active Armaments
On Order
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Air Defense Systems
805* (200)
↓
↓
Active Armaments
↓
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22
-
60
-
100
-
16
-
0 (200)
-
240*
-
300*
Aircraft 223 (41)
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6
-
0 (18)
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5
-
6
-
41
-
13
-
6 (4)
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25
-
2 (1)
-
47
-
2
-
2
-
2
-
3
-
1
-
2
-
1
-
5
-
8 (1)
-
2
-
2
-
0 (9)
Artillery 677 (12)
-
10
-
30
-
128
-
50
-
344
Ground Vehicles 3,273 (1,021*)
-
16 (34)
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0 (7*)
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65
-
0 (50)
-
14
-
96
-
35
-
100
-
50
-
0 (20)
-
800
-
410 (300)
-
0 (50)
-
340
-
0 (40)
-
175
-
35
-
55
-
60 (520)
-
93
-
390
-
275
-
182
-
82
Guided Munitions 4,013* (200*)
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0 (200*)
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1,230*
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1,918*
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100*
-
310*
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45*