The United States has delivered a final shipment of military Black Hawk helicopters, as part of Washington’s efforts to assist its regional ally in boosting its military capabilities to confront threats the Hashemite Kingdom faces, including from the Islamic State, among other regional adversaries. Jordan’s Airlift Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Jaber al-Abbadi said, “US-Jordanian military cooperation is very strong and a key component in our joint efforts to defeat Daesh (Islamic State). Receiving these helicopters is evidence of our strong relationship led by our commander in chief His Majesty King Abdullah the Second,” he said in the opening remarks of the ceremony that took place in King Abdullah the Second military base in the governate of Zarqa. Charge D’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, Henry Wooster took the opportunity to reaffirm Washington’s Commitment to Amman, saying: “The United States remains committed to supporting the JAF’s (Jordanian Armed Forces) efforts to protect Jordan’s borders, deter aggression, counter active terrorism, assist in civil defense, and contribute to defeat ISIS (Islamic State) coalition operations,” the American diplomat told the ceremony’s attendees.
The final shipment of Black Hawk helicopters raised the total number of military helicopters Jordan received to 12 aircrafts over past nine months. An American military source told TV7 that the decision aimed to bolster Jordan’s attack capabilities because of its active participation in a U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State, which clearly portrays the Kingdom’s proactive involvement in the international effort to combat the radical militias that have plagued the Middle East. In addition to bolstering the Kingdom’s attack capabilities, the Washington has spent millions of dollars to help Amman set up an elaborate surveillance system known as the Border Security Program to stem infiltration by militants from Syria and Iraq – a project that was initiated since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.