Jordanian Armed Forces

Jordanian Armed Forces
القوات المسلحة الأردنية
Emblem of the Jordanian Armed Forces
Emblem of the Jordanian Armed Forces
Founded22 October 1920
Current form1 March 1956
Service branches Royal Jordanian Army
 Royal Jordanian Navy
 Royal Jordanian Air Force
HeadquartersAmman
Leadership
Commander-in-chiefField Marshal King Abdullah II
Minister of DefenceBisher Al-Khasawneh
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffMajor General Yousef Huneiti
Personnel
Military age18–49 years old
Active personnel100,500[1]
Reserve personnel100,000[1]
Expenditure
Budget$5.0B
Percent of GDP6.5%
Industry
Domestic suppliersJordan Design and Development Bureau
Foreign suppliers Australia
 Brazil
 Canada
 China
 Czech Republic
 France
 Germany
 India
 Italy
 Japan
 South Korea
 Netherlands
 Poland
 Russia
 South Africa
 Sweden
 Taiwan
 Turkey
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom
 United States
Related articles
HistoryWorld War II (1940–45)
Arab–Israeli War
Retribution operations (1950s)
Six-Day War
War of Attrition (1967–70)
Battle of Karameh (1968)
Black September
Yom Kippur War
Yemeni Civil War (1994)
1999 East Timorese crisis
First Libyan Civil War
International military intervention against ISIL (2014–present)
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015)
RanksJordanian military ranks

The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة الأردنية, romanized: Al-Quwwat Al-Musallaha Al-Urduniyya), also referred to as the Arab Army (Arabic: الجيش العربي, Al-Jaysh Al-Arabi), are the military forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They consist of the ground forces, air force, and navy. They are under the direct control of the King of Jordan who is the Supreme Commander of the Jordanian Armed Forces and acts by recommendation of the Defence Minister. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is Major General Yousef Huneiti, who is also the King's military adviser.[2]

The first organized army in Jordan was established on 22 October 1920, and was named the "Mobile Force". At the time it only had 150 men in its ranks. On its third anniversary in 1923, the force was renamed the Arab Legion, consisting of 1,000 men. By the time Jordan became an independent state in 1946, the Arab Legion numbered some 8,000 soldiers in 3 mechanized regiments. In 1956, King Hussein dismissed all British generals and changed the name of the Legion into the "Jordanian Arab Army" in what became known as the Arabization of the Jordanian Army command.

The army fought in several wars and battles, mostly against Israel. In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the capture of the West Bank by Jordan and the decisive Battles of Latrun, proved that the Arab Legion was the most effective army during the war. Several confrontations followed with Israel, resulting in mixed success; they included the Retribution operations, the Six-Day War, the War of Attrition and Yom Kippur War. Jordan also had to face the PLO and the Syrian Army during the events of Black September. The signing of the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994 ended the state of belligerency between the two countries.[3]

It is today considered to be among the most professional in the region, and is seen as particularly well-trained, organized, and equipped.[4]

  1. ^ a b International Institute for Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. London: Routledge. p. 347. ISBN 9781032012278.
  2. ^ "Freihat appointed chairman of joint chiefs-of-staff". Jordan Times. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  3. ^ Tucker, Spencer C. (2010). The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf. Abc-Clio. ISBN 978-1851099481. Retrieved 10 June 2016 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Jordan Armed Forces modernization continues with wide scale issue of new KA2 Digital Camouflage". Hyperstealth.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.