The 11th iteration of joint exercise Eager Lion concluded on May 23 in Jordan, demonstrating a continued commitment by all participating nations to regional stability.

Eager Lion is one of the largest military exercises conducted in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, building on a 75-year tradition of cooperation and collaboration between the United States and Jordan.

This year's iteration of the biannual exercise saw the participation of the United States, Jordan and 32 other partner nations, making it the largest since the first exercise in 2011.

Ten Arab nations participated in Eager Lion 24, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon. They were joined by several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Italy and Germany.

As the most important exercise between the US and Jordanian militaries, Eager Lion emphasizes cooperation and interoperability between partner nations.

It provides an opportunity for participating nations to enhance joint defense against evolving hybrid threats by both state and non-state actors.

This year's exercise emphasized responding to drone warfare with expanded integrated air and missile defense synchronization.

It also focused on drilled response to biological, chemical and nuclear threats. Part of the exercise trained participants in conducting operations in a chemically contaminated environment.

Sharing expertise

The exercise included "a field training exercise with combined-arms live-fire exercise, command post exercise, and a senior leader seminar to facilitate information sharing at tactical and strategic levels," according to a CENTCOM statement.

The drills spanned domains ranging from land, air and sea to cyberspace, building cooperation and capacity across the region and around the world to promote peace, stability and prosperity.

The exercise practiced critical operations, including multinational disaster response and humanitarian assistance that require collaboration with civil authorities.

Eager Lion enables the Jordanian military to share expertise with partner nations, in particular its advancements in border security to combat the threat of smuggling from neighboring Syria.

Jordanian troops shared relevant skills gleaned from years of experience breaking up hundreds of smuggling attempts and preventing the flow of millions of dollars in narcotics and weapons into Jordan and surrounding nations.

Enhancing military-to-military relationships remains key to regional security.

"Participating in Eager Lion demonstrates our shared commitment to improving interoperability with our partners," said US Army Brig. Gen. Jason Benson, CENTCOM's director for Eager Lion 2024.

"It also demonstrates that our coalition force can maintain a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region. It delivers a clear message that relationships matter."