The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) stands out as one of the strongest militaries in the Middle East region, elevated by its enduring partnership with the United States.

Its strength is demonstrated with the holding of Exercise Eager Lion, a two-week long multinational military drill designed to foster collaboration, interoperability and an exchange of expertise among partners and major players in the region.

Since 2010, the US Department of Defense and Jordan have collaborated to hold the drills every one to two years, with US forces organizing the event and Jordan hosting it.

This year will mark the 11th iteration of Exercise Eager Lion, which is set to take place in Jordan May 12–23.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) describes the joint exercise as "the capstone event of the broader US military relationship with the Jordanian Armed Forces."

The exercise includes a wide variety of missions and operations to enhance partner nation durability in the face of evolving threats, and stakeholders from the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, Europe, the Americas and Australia.

It focuses on key issues such as cyber defense, border security, command and control, and combined joint force operations with specific exercises planned each year.

The 2022 iteration of Eager Lion included "a long-range bomber mission, cyber threats from fictitious adversaries, interagency communication and coordination, counterterrorism skills development, integrated air and missile defense synchronization, advancing proficiencies for maritime and border security, disaster response, and humanitarian aid," according to CENTCOM.

About 1,700 US service members, 2,200 Jordanian Armed Forces personnel and almost 600 military personnel representing 28 partner nations participated in and observed the 2022 iteration of the exercise.

US support

The backbone of the JAF and of its ability to host Eager Lion is US-provided weapon systems.

One of the JAF's signature tanks is the M60 Phoenix, an upgraded version of the US-made M60A3, a model first developed in the 1970s.

The upgrades have included increased armor protection, add-on armor packages that can be applied to the hull and turret, and explosive reactive armor.

The tanks have been upgraded with integrated fire control systems (IFCS), electronic systems that fulfill the same purpose as a human gunner, aiding ranged weapons in tracking and hitting targets with high precision.

The IFCS include HIRE II, a second-generation thermal imaging gunner's sight and the laser ELITE II laser rangefinder, as well as a digital ballistic computer.

The main battle tanks are equipped with a 120mm smoothbore tank gun compatible with all standard NATO 120mm tank ammunition.

These numerous upgrades have made the Phoenix one of the longest enduring tanks in the Middle East.

The M60A3 is one of the most popular tanks in the world. The United States has produced and exported more than 15,000 tanks to 22 countries.

The Jordanian rocket artillery force employs the US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), making it one of the elite armed forces of the Middle East.

The M142 HIMARS is a missile launcher mounted on a five-ton truck that can fire guided missiles in quick succession.

HIMARS' "shoot and scoot" capability -- or its ability to emplace, fire, relocate and reload in a matter of minutes -- dramatically reduces the adversary's ability to locate and target the launchers, enhancing crew and platform survivability in high threat environments.

The JAF last July during Exercise Desert Tempest demonstrated the rapid deployment capabilities of the HIMARS by transporting the system on a C-130 and conducting a fire demonstration.

The JAF's interoperability with the United States and its partners and allies, as well as its unique capacity fueled by US-made weapon systems, make it stand out as a partner of choice in the Middle East.