U.S. delivers 12 Black Hawk helicopters to strengthen Jordan Air Force. (Reuters Photo)
AMMAN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) on Sunday officially received the final shipment of new Black Hawk helicopters from the United States, bring the total number to 12 of all aircraft received over the last nine months, the U.S. Embassy in Amman said.
The helicopters will strengthen the JAF, its Quick Reaction Force (QRF), and Jordan's security, said the embassy in a statement to the press.
Prince Faisal bin Hussein presided over the delivery commemoration of the Black Hawks, with Charge d'Affaires of U.S. Embassy Henry Wooster and General Joseph Votel, Commander of the U.S. Central Command, representing the United States.
"The U.S. and the Kingdom of Jordan have a historic and enduring relationship, built on shared values and shared interests. Our military partnership epitomizes 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.
The U.S. delivered the first installment of the 12 Black Hawks in March 2017 and the final installment in December 2017, a delivery completed in unprecedented speed for this number of aircraft.
The U.S. Congress appropriated 470 million dollars in 2017 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.
