Jordan has signed a contract to buy 12 new Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D block 70 fighters from the United States. The agreement was signed by the commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, Brigadier Gen. Pilot Mohamed Fathi Hyasat, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan. The U.S. State Department cleared the sale of 16 F-16C/D fighters to Jordan in February 2022 for an estimated cost of $4.21 billion. The Foreign Military Sale was for 12 C-models and 4 D-models. It is unknown how many C and D models Jordan will be buying in this contract. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin, Greenville, South Carolina.
The proposed sale will improve Jordan’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring continued interoperability with U.S. and coalition forces. These aircraft will modernize the Jordanian fighter aircraft fleet and support operational requirements associated with regional U.S.-coalition goals, such as countering violent extremist organizations, countering malign state and non-state actors, and border defense. Jordan will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
