US delivers 12 new Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan

AMMAN — The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) on Sunday officially received the final shipment of new Black Hawk helicopters from the US, bringing the total to 12 aircraft received over the last nine months, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, and the US embassy said.  

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Feisal presided over the commemoration of the Black Hawks, with Chargé d’Affaires of the US embassy Henry Wooster and General Joseph Votel, commander of the US Central Command, representing the US.  

The ceremony included a flyover of the new Black Hawks and remarks by Airlift Wing Commander Brigadier General Jaber Al Abbadi and Wooster.  The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) and the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) conducted a live fire and infiltration demonstration featuring the Black Hawk’s capabilities — one of the most versatile and advanced aircraft in the world, according to the statement. 

“The United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have a historic and enduring relationship, built on shared values and shared interests.  Our military partnership epitomises our mutual goals for a secure and stable region. Today’s ceremony marks the beginning of a new JAF capability in the form of a state-of-the-art UH-60 Black Hawk fleet,” said Wooster at the ceremony, noting that the helicopters will strengthen the JAF, its QRF, and Jordan’s security.

The US delivered the first installment of the 12 Black Hawks in March 2017 and the final installment in December 2017, the statement said.

In 2017, the US Congress allocated $470 million to the JAF and RJAF, including training for pilots, crew chiefs, and maintenance technicians, as well as spare parts, ground equipment, weapons, ammunition and shelters for the Black Hawks.

The United States is committed to supporting the JAF’s efforts to protect Jordan’s borders, counter terrorism, assist in civil defence operations, and defeat Daesh through the international coalition, the statement concluded.