Consistent, peacetime cooperation between Jordan and the United States has long bolstered the effectiveness of Jordanian forces and promoted national security.

The United States has consistently provided the Kingdom of Jordan with military aid since 1957, making the United States' partnership with Jordan one of the most enduring in the region.

Military-to-military cooperation is essential to both regional and national security.

The Royal Jordanian Armed Forces and the US military cooperate on a range of issues, including cybersecurity, border and maritime security and counterterrorism.

Each year, for example, the United States and Jordan participate in joint exercise Eager Lion, a two-week, multinational military exercise hosted by Jordan and led by the US Department of Defense.

The annual exercise enables the US and Jordanian militaries to share expertise, foster interoperability and demonstrate their commitment to a secure, prosperous and peaceful Middle East.

The latest iteration of the exercise, held in May, focused on seamlessly integrating operations across domains, with exercises involving the land, sea, air and cyber domains.

Participating nations carried out humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, a rising area of military importance as natural disasters and humanitarian crises have demanded military response around the world.

Close cooperation

Jordan hosts Foreign Area Officers (FAOs), a subset of US military officers who demonstrate exceptional linguistic and regional expertise -- in another sign of close cooperation.

In Jordan, the FAOs serve as defense attachés who are critical to military diplomacy, as security assistance officers who help train and advise the Jordanian military and as political-military officers.

FAOs emphasize the importance of building partner capacity and facilitating cooperation across training, joint exercises and military missions.

This peacetime collaboration spearheaded by FAOs enhances the effectiveness of Jordanian forces in enforcing national security.

Bolstering the RJAF

Meanwhile, US support has bolstered the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF).

With a fleet of almost 300 aircraft, the RJAF operates US-made F-16 Fighting Falcons, AirTractor AT-802s and Bell AH-1E/F Cobras as its primary combat aircraft.

The F-16 is a single-engine, supersonic multi-role fighter aircraft that comprises the backbone of Jordan's air combat capabilities.

The RJAF has been a stalwart in the Kingdom's fight against terrorism and is essential to Jordanian border security.

Sharing a 362km-long border with Syria, Jordan has been at risk of spillover effects of the Syrian civil war and threats from the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

The RJAF has conducted air strikes, strategic airlift, and surveillance and reconnaissance missions, destroying ISIS training centers and arms and ammunition depots and critically degrading the terror group's capabilities.