Military cooperation between the United States and Jordan is still going strong after decades of close collaboration.

For more than 70 years, US leaders have considered Jordan to be a vital US security partner in the Middle East, according to the US State Department.

The military and law enforcement cooperation between the countries focuses on combating violent extremism, deterring illicit flows and countering hostile actors in the region.

In a 2023 visit to Jordan that included meetings with Jordanian King Abdullah and top Jordanian military officials, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla called Jordan a "bulwark" for regional peace and a key strategic ally in the battle against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

"Our enduring military partnership with the Jordanian Armed Forces is important to regional stability and protecting mutual interests," Kurilla said.

Jordan hosts almost 3,000 US troops, according to a report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in June 2023.

The United States is taking part in Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter attacks conducted by Yemen's Houthis on commercial shipping in the Jordan-bordered Red Sea.

Countering extremist organizations

US and Jordanian military personnel train side by side to prepare for counter-terrorism operations, and the US government's Anti-Terrorism Assistance program has trained more than 7,150 Jordanian law enforcement personnel since 1987, according to the US embassy in Amman.

For more than a decade, Jordan has hosted some of the Middle East's largest military training exercises in cooperation with the United States and other partner nations.

These exercises "are among the most important products" of the military partnership between Jordan and its allies, with the United States foremost among them, Jordanian Armed Forces/Arab Army Director of Military Training Brig. Gen. Tawfiq Al-Marzouq wrote in March 2021.

Exercise Eager Lion, which was first held between the Jordanian Armed Forces and US Central Command in 2011 and has since expanded to include 28 ally nations, is "designed to train troops in unconventional warfare to counter violent extremist organizations," according to Al-Marzouq.

Eager Lion is "a tribute to a partnership with the US that strengthens military cooperation and develops the capabilities of troops to confront threats to the region and the world," he added.

Other training exercises include Intrepid Maven, a training series for US Marines and sailors to strengthen interoperability with the Jordanian Armed Forces, and Jordan Shield, during which Jordanian officials and the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Colorado National Guard rehearsed Jordan's response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

Additionally, the bilateral Infinite Defender exercise is held yearly with the Jordanian Armed Forces alongside US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel from US Naval Forces Central Command.

Last August, more than 300 military personnel took part in Infinite Defender over the course of two weeks off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan, focusing on maritime security, maritime interdiction, explosive ordnance disposal and live fire exercises.

"It's inspiring to see all the joint forces working together in this vital region," said Capt. Oliver Herion, commander of Task Force 56, which led the exercise.

"Together, we continue to grow and build on our tactics, readiness and commitment to regional maritime security and stability."

Military aid

In addition to joint training, the United States has been providing military aid to Jordan since 1957, according to the CRS report.

In 1996, the United States granted Jordan Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status, which made Jordan eligible to receive excess US defense articles, training and loans of equipment for cooperative research and development.

In 2022, under the fourth Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries, the United States sought a total of $1.45 billion in annual economic and military aid for Jordan, subject to Congressional appropriations, between fiscal years 2023 and 2029.

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, $425 million in foreign military financing was earmarked for Jordan, along with up to $500 million in Defense Department funds to help armed forces in Jordan enhance border security.

The ongoing civil war in Syria has caused instability along the country's 362km-long border with Jordan, where criminal networks based in Syria have increasingly attempted to smuggle the synthetic drug Captagon across Jordan's borders.

Iranian-backed militias such as Hizbullah have also attempted to gain influence along the Jordanian-Syrian border, contributing to the instability.

A total of 194 cross-border smuggling and infiltration attempts were recorded between January and August 2023 alone -- 88 involving drones -- and some have resulted in clashes with Jordanian security personnel, according to a Washington Institute brief published in January.

"Largely orchestrated by elements of the Syrian and Iranian regimes, this illicit trade has strained Jordan's security and law enforcement resources while heightening domestic concerns about the economic and social impact of narcotics," said the brief.

The United States' Jordan Border Security Program has supported Jordan with border security since 2009, and the United States has provided Jordan with equipment including infrared cameras, surveillance radars, fencing sensors and intrusion detection devices.

In 2022, the Royal Jordanian Air Force received the first US upgraded IOMAX Air Tractor AT-802 Border Patrol Aircraft, according to the CRS. The United States is helping to upgrade six of Jordan's existing AT-802s to better secure the border.

In January 2023, the Jordanian air force signed a multibillion-dollar agreement to buy new F-16 fighter jets from the United States to replace its older fleet.

"This agreement is part of efforts to boost the defense capabilities of the kingdom and increase the level of combat readiness and joint operations with the US," the Jordanian air force said at the time.

"It also aims to strengthen the framework of co-operation between the two countries, support joint efforts to combat terrorism and promote stability in the region."