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The US State Department has approved the multibillion-dollar sale of a fleet of F-16 aircraft to the Arab state.
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The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has confirmed a foreign military sale of F-16 C/D Block 70 aircraft and related equipment to Jordan for approximately US$4.21 billion ($5.9 billion).
Specifically, the sale includes 12 F-16 C Block 70 aircraft and four F-16 D Block 70 aircraft; 21 F100-GE-129D engines or F100-PW229EEP engines; as well as in-built technological equipment and support services.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the DSCA noted in a statement.
“The proposed sale will improve Jordan’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring continued interoperability with US and coalition forces.”
The new fleet is expected to be deployed in support of regional US-coalition operations in the region, including counterterrorism missions, countering malign state and non-state actors, and border defence.
This is the latest foreign military sale to a Middle Eastern nation over the past month, coming just over a week after Egypt procured 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and related equipment for approximately US$2.2 billion ($3.1 billion).
The US State Department has also approved orders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia purchased Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT) and related equipment for approximately US$23.7 million ($33.4 million).
The UAE provided US$65 million ($91.8 million) in funds for blanket order requisitions under a Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Agreement (CLSSA) for common spares/repair parts to support its Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK), Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (PATRIOT), and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon systems.
[Related: US to supply over $3bn in arms to Egypt]
