Jordan buys 10 US military training helicopters

Deal signed at a military fair in Aqaba opened by King Abdullah

Jordan's King Abdullah (centre), at an airbase in Jordan on July 24, 2022. AFP

The Jordanian military signed a deal with US company Bell Textron to buy 10 training helicopters at a military exhibition in the port city of Aqaba opened by King Abdullah, the official news agency reported.

It said Jordan's chief of staff, Maj Gen Youssef Al Huneiti and a Textron executive signed the agreement for 10 Bell 505 helicopters on Tuesday in the presence of the US ambassador in Jordan, Henry Wooster.

The helicopters will be delivered with "a comprehensive array of computerised training equipment", the agency said, but gave no date of delivery or the cost of the purchase.

Jordan has been a close US ally for decades. The two countries signed a military pact last year that commits Jordan to provide logistical and other support for several thousand US troops in the country.

The kingdom is also one of the largest recipients of US aid. According to the US State Department, Jordan received $1.6 billion of American aid last year, including at least $425 million in military assistance.

King Abdullah opened the Special Operations Forces Exhibition in Aqaba on Tuesday.

Official media said 300 companies from 38 countries are taking part in the four-day exhibition.

The king was commander of Jordan's special forces before he succeeded his father, the late king Hussein, in 1999. King Abdullah heads the armed forces and all significant powers in Jordan lie with him.