Origins – 1920–1947 of 1916 against the
Ottoman Empire formed the nucleus of the Arab Legion. On 10 June 1916,
Sherif Hussien Bin Ali prince of
Mecca, officially declared the
Great Arab Revolt against the
Ottoman Empire to rid Arab nations of the Turkish rule that had lasted about four centuries. On 21 November 1920,
Prince Abdullah Bin Al-Hussien (later King) arrived at
Ma'an, where he expressed his resolution to drive out the Turkish forces from
Syria. Later, on 5 December 1920, he proclaimed himself as deputy
king in Syria and appealed to members of the
Al-Faissali army to join his forces in Ma'an. His calls received much attention in the Arab world as several prominent
Arab nationalists and other Arab princes joined his campaign; these later formed the embryonic force of the Arab legion. When Prince Abdullah came to power in the
Emirate of Transjordan, the
Jordanian Armed Forces included: •
Gendarmerie (Darak) force of 400 men. • A
mobile (mainly
cavalry) force of 150 men and horses. • A regular Army battalion of some 200
infantrymen. • A
camelry of 100 men. • An Arab force, which was probably the battalion that had accompanied prince Abdullah to
Amman from Ma'an. Roles of military formations in Jordan from the foundation of the emirate until the
1948 Arab–Israeli War: •
Transjordan Frontier Force: It had played an important role for the
United Kingdom during
World War II, as it provided protection for British lines of communication extending from
Iraq to
Soviet Union. It also took part in the fighting against the
French forces in
Syria. • The
Arab Legion: – During World War II, it was mainly tasked with maintaining law and order in the country. Moreover, it extended support to British Forces engaged in military actions in Syria, Iraq and
Palestine. A military detachment of this force participated in the
Victory Day ceremonies in
London on 8 June 1946, and the victory festival of
Allied Forces in
Jerusalem. • The
Desert Force (Al-Badia Force): AKA Desert Patrol. Its main task was to guard Jordan's borders with neighboring Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria, as well as to provide protection for the
petroleum pipelines of the
Iraqi Petroleum Company (IPC). Besides that, it participated in the campaigns of Syria and Iraq during World War II.
Formation Pre-1948 war take part in the Victory March in London in 1946 This army started with an infantry company, cavalry company,
machine guns unit,
signal section and military band. In 1923, the total strength of the army, which was under the command of British Captain
Frederick Gerard Peake, did not exceed 750 men. ,
Glubb Pasha in uniform.
Amman, September 11, 1940 During 1930, the
Arab Legion's strength was expanded to approximately 1,100. In 1931, a camel-mounted desert mobile force was organized under the command of
John Bagot Glubb to maintain security and order. This organization attracted numerous
Bedouin volunteers. In 1933, the first mechanized force was formed. This element consisted of three vehicles and 120 men including the camel-mounted desert mobile force. It undertook the responsibility of maintaining security, preventing the raids among the tribal groups and deterring the raids from the outside. By the eve of World War II, the legion had been expanded to a force of about 1,600 men. This legion took part in operations in Syria during the war. Independent companies were established in addition to a regular battalion, which was later expanded to become the 1st Brigade. In 1942, the 2nd battalion was formed, which later became the 2nd Brigade. The army continued its expansion in numbers and equipment.
1948 war In 1948, it consisted of two
brigades; two
garrisons and four battalions were merged to become six battalions. At this time, the army consisted of an infantry division, an artillery brigade, a mortar battery, an artillery battery, an engineer and signal battalion and a field aid unit. After the announcement of the
1947 UN Partition Plan, and the disclosure of the British decision to leave Palestine on 15 May 1948, both warring sides (the Arabs and the Jews) began to make their military preparations for a forthcoming confrontation they believed would be inevitable. In May 1948, the Arab countries decided to send their forces to assist the Palestinians. The Arab Legion entered Palestine with other Arab Forces on 15 May 1948 using the
Allenby (King Hussein) bridge as they were advancing to cover the approaches from
Jenin, in the north to
Afula and from Al-Majame'a bridge on the
Jordan River to
Bissan and from there to
Afula. Units of the Arab Legion were engaged in several battles with the Jewish forces including the following: • Attacking
Ben Shemen convoy at
Beit Nabala – 14 December 1947 • Battle of
Neve Yaakov settlement- 18 April 1948 • Attacking
kibutz Gesher on 27–28 April 1948 • Massacre of
Kfar Etzion 13–15 May 1948. • Occupation of
Latrun Tegart fort on 17 May 1948, and later the
Battles of Latrun •
Battle for Jerusalem (1948) • Attacking and conquering
Gezer (kibbutz) on 10 June 1948. •
Tarqumiya on 24 October 1948
1949–1967 King Hussein spared no pains at all to improve the army in terms of cadre and equipment, and in the early 1956 dismissed Glubb and Arab commanders assumed leadership posts in the army, most notably
Habis Al-Majali. In 1957, King Hussein ordered the establishment of the 4th infantry brigade and another of field artillery. In 1958, the heavy artillery was entered, In the same year, the Armoured Brigade was reorganized as an Armoured Division and, in 1961, it became the Armour Corps. During this period, the
40th Armoured Brigade,
60th Armoured Brigade and the Royal Guard Brigade were established.
Battles – 1956 On 11 September, an Israeli force infiltrated the Jordanian territories in the Al-Rahwa, Hebron sector, and attacked the police station there. After long clashes with a Jordanian unit from the Desert Guards, the Israeli force was forced to withdraw repulsed. On 10 October 1956, an enemy force, estimated at a motorized infantry brigade, supported by medium-range artillery and 10 combat aircraft, attacked the Arab towns of Hubla, Al-Nabi Illias and Azroun. The assaulting troops fought the Arab legion west of Al-Nabi Illias and were forced to withdraw to Qalqilia hills. ;Equipment 1956: Armour • 24 ×
Charioteer FV4101 Mk.VII medium tanks with
20-pounder gun • 36 ×
Archer tank destroyers with
17-pdr gun • 53 × Marmon-Harrington FV Mk.III armoured cars • 72 ×
Marmon-Harrington FV Mk.IV armoured cars with
2-pdr gun Artillery •
2-pdr Anti-Tank Guns •
6-pdr Anti-Tank Guns •
17-pdr Anti-Tank Guns • Marmon-Harrington 3.7 inch 4×4 self-propelled howitzers •
RO 25-pdr towed field guns/howitzers •
2-inch mortars •
3-inch mortars •
PIAT light anti-tank rocket launchers Aircraft • 16 ×
de Havilland Vampire (9 × FB-9, 2 × T55, 7 × FB52) • 10 ×
NAA AT-6 Harvard • 5 ×
AOP-3/5 • 6 ×
DH-104 Dove • 10 ×
de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk Kuwait – 1963 When
Kuwait declared its independence from the
Commonwealth on 19 June 1961, the Iraqi government announced that Kuwait was an integral part of its national territories. Following the end of
Operation Vantage, the
Arab league formed the
Arab Emergency Force to protect Kuwait with the participation of
Saudi Arabia,
Egypt,
Sudan, Jordan and
Tunisia. The Jordanian participation included an infantry battalion reinforced by an anti-aircraft platoon and returned home on 13 December 1963. ====
Samu incident – 1966==== . On 13 November 1966, in response to a
Fatah land mine incident two days prior, Israeli forces raided the
Palestinian village of Samu (in the Muhafazat of Hebron) with an infantry brigade reinforced by two tank battalions and supported by artillery and combat aircraft. The Jordanian army suffered 16 dead, as well as material damages. In 1965, King Hussein ordered the formation of five infantry brigades. The army was divided into two fronts: Western front and Eastern front, ten infantry battalions were concentrated on both fronts. In 1967, a new armoured brigade was established. The artillery brigade was recognized to have consisted of three field artillery battalions and an anti-aircraft battalion.
Six-Day War – 1967 Believing that Israel was a becoming more of a threat, Egypt declared a state of emergency and started to concentrate its forces in the Sinai desert. In addition to that, Jordan signed a mutual defense agreement with Egypt. Consequently, Israel ordered the full mobilisation of its forces on 25 May 1967. As a result, the Arab Jordan Army was placed on maximum alert. The operational Strengths Of Opposing Forces on the Jordanian Front included: ;Arab Forces • Jordan Armed Forces (JAF): several infantry brigades, 2 Armoured brigades and 20 operational combat aircraft, distributed in defensive positions in both western and eastern fronts. • Iraq: 2 infantry brigades, 1 mechanised brigade, 1 armoured brigade, and 34 aircraft. • Syria: one infantry brigade crossed the Jordanian border on 7 June, and left on 9 June 1967 without being involved in any military actions. • Saudi Arabia: one infantry brigade and an armoured company, which arrived at the Al-Modawara border crossing point on 21 March 1968. • Egypt: 2 Ranger battalions arrived in Jordan on 3 June 1967. Their primary mission was to destroy six Israeli airfields. Due to their late arrival in the occupied territories, they could not accomplish their mission. ;Israeli forces opposing the Jordanian front included: • 4 infantry brigades • 3 mechanised brigades • 2 paratroop brigades • 2 armoured brigades with their full standard support elements • 286 combat aircraft of different types. When the military operations were over on both Egyptian and Syrian fronts, Israel redeployed a part of its forces from these fronts to the Jordanian front. At 0730 hrs. on 5 June 1967, the Israelis surprised the Arab states with a series of continuous air strikes directed at Arab airfields. As a result, most of the Arab air force was neutralized. Amid the battles in Jerusalem was the
Battle of Ammunition Hill; 71 Jordanian soldiers died. Eventually, the Jordanian Army was driven from East Jerusalem. ;Jordanian Army order of battle, June 1967 • 2 × Armoured Brigades (40/60, Each 96 with
Patton M-48/M-48A-1 MBTs, 40 ×
FV-701 Ferret ARVs, 45 ×
M-113 APCs, 18 × M-52 105 mm self-propelled howitzers, 18 ×
M-42 2×40mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns) • 3 × Indp. Armoured Battalions (with
Centurion MK-V/VII or
Patton M-47 MBTs) • 1 × Paratroop Battalion • 1 × "Royal Brigade" (Mechanized Infantry) • 9 × Infantry Brigades (1/2/3/4/12/25/27/29/36) • 12 × Artillery Battalions • 6 × Mortar Batteries ;Jordanian Air Force order of battle • Sqn No.1
Hawker Hunter FGA-6/FR-10/T-66 at Mafraq AB • Sqn No.2
Vampire FB-9/52 T55 at Mafraq & Amman • Sqn No.3
Dove DH-104/
C-47 Dakota/
WS-55 Whirlwind at Amman AB • Sqn No.6 Hawker Hunter FGA9/73 at Amman AB • Sqn No.9
F-104A/B Starfighter at Mafraq AB • Sqn No.4
Alouette III/
Westland Scout at Amman AB
Equipment of Jordanian Armed Forces, June 1967 •
Lee–Enfield Mk.4 rifle •
Sten Mk.4
sub-machine gun •
Bren light machine gun •
Vickers machine gun (.303 inch.) •
M1 Garand rifle •
M1 Carbine •
M1A1 Thompson submachine gun •
Browning M1919 A4 machine gun •
Browning M-2HB .50 cal. machine gun •
M-20 Super Bazooka •
RO 2-inch light mortar •
RO 3-inch medium mortar • 297 ×
Patton M-48(197)/M-48A-1(100) 90mm Main Battle Tanks • 49–160 ×
Patton M-47 90mm MBTs • 90–105 ×
Centurion Mk.V/VII 20-pdr (84.6 mm) MBTs • 24 ×
Charioteer Mk.7 FV4101 20-pdr (84.6 mm) medium tanks • 140–240 ×
FV702 Ferret 4×4 armoured reconnaissance vehicles • 130 ×
FV601 Saladin 76mm 6×6 ARVs • 150 ×
FV603 Saracen 6×6
AIFV • 250 ×
M-113 armored personnel carriers • 350 ×
M-40A1-C1 106 mm recoilless rifle • 90 ×
QF 17-pdr (76 mm) Towed ATGs • 36 ×
Archer 17-pdr (76mm) self-propelled anti-tank guns • 20 ×
M-44 155 mm self-propelled howitzers • 36 × M-52 105mm SPHs • 25 ×
M-115 203 mm towed guns • 16–18 ×
M-59 Long Tom 155 mm towed guns • 90–108 ×
QF 25-pdr (87.6mm) towed gun-howitzers •
Brandt 120 mm heavy mortar •
4.2-inch (107 mm) heavy mortar •
M-42 Bofors twin 40mm SP-AAGs •
Land Rover 4WD •
Ford M-151 •
Jeep M-38 • Ford trucks •
Reo M-35 •
M-8 towing tractor for M-59 guns •
M-88 recovery tank • 5 ×
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (2 A, 3 B) • 24–32 ×
Hawker Hunter (FGA.6/9/73, FR.10, T.66) • 8–16 ×
de Havilland Vampire (FB.9/52, T.55) • 2 ×
de Havilland Heron • 6 ×
De Havilland DH104 Dove • 4–6 ×
Douglas C-47 Dakota • 4 ×
Sud Aviation Alouette III SA-316B • 2 ×
Westland WS-55 Srs-4 Whirlwind • 3 ×
Westland Scout AH MK-1 • Marconi 745 radar system
1967–1973 war After the 1967 war, the army was rearmed. In 1968, the army defended Jordan against Israeli troops that had invaded Jordanian territory in pursuit of Palestinian guerrillas – the
Battle of Karameh. Palestinians claim a victory just for resisting Israeli troops; the Jordanians say that they forced the Israelis back; the Israelis say that they pulled back after hitting the Palestinians at which time they were bombed by the Jordanians. Daily clashes continued on the Jordanian Front after the 1967 war until the mid-1970s – the
War of Attrition. The most famous one was the Battle of Karameh. In 1968,
Israeli forces crossed the border and advanced on the town of Karameh. The Jordanian army mobilized and a battle broke out between the Jordanian army and the IDF. The Israeli forces retreated after a heavy bombardment.' September 1970 is known as
Black September in Arab history. In September 1970, King Hussein moved to quash an attempt by armed Palestinian insurgents to overthrow his monarchy. The violence resulted in civilian casualties on both sides. Armed conflict lasted until July 1971 ending only when remaining Palestinian insurgents were surrounded in the Ajloun-Jarash mountains, finally surrendered to the Jordan army and were expelled from the country.' In the 1973
Yom Kippur War, the 40th Armoured Brigade was sent to the Syrian front.
After 1977 Since the major reorganisation of 1977, the Royal Jordanian Army has kept the 5th Armoured Division deployed between the Iraqi border and Ramtha on the Syrian border, the 12th Mechanized Division deployed from Ramtha through Umm Qays to the Zarqa River in a defensive posture that covers both Israel and Syria and the 4th Mechanized Division deployed from the Zarqa River, north of As-Salt to the Dead Sea facing Israel. The 3rd Armoured Division acts as both the strategic reserve and the main protection against any internal disturbances. It has units deployed at Zarqa in the north; near the capital Amman (along with a brigade of Royal Guards made up of hand-picked troops from Bedouin tribes known for their long-standing loyalty to the crown), and at
Qatraneh in the south covering the route into Saudi Arabia. In 1996, the Jordanian Army finally established a Special Operations Command, the brain-child of Abdullah (then a serving Army officer). It is tasked to deal with a possible Palestinian uprising and the growth of Islamic terrorism. This powerful force now includes the 71st and 101st Special Force Battalions, the 81st and 91st Paracommando Battalions and both electronic warfare and helicopter support units."
2000s Army The army's organizational structure was traditionally based on two armoured divisions and two mechanized divisions. These have been transformed into a lighter, more mobile forces, based largely on a brigade structure and considered more capable of rapid reaction in emergencies. Due to the critical position of Jordan (sandwiched between Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel), Jordan maintains a strong defensive army, with four regional commands, the Northern command, the Central Command, the Eastern Command and the Southern Command. As of August 2004, the army was reported to be 88,000 strong, and the Northern Command is reported to consist of (2 mech, 1 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AD brigade), the Southern Command (1 armd, 1 infantry brigade), the Central Command (1 mech, 1 lt. inf, 1 arty, 1 AD brigade), the Eastern Command (2 mech, 1 arty, 1 AD brigade), and a strategic reserve (1 Royal armoured division with 3 armd, 1 arty, 1 AD brigades). An armoured division has become the core element of a strategic reserve. Each command is controlled by its Field General, but all of the commands are under the King of Jordan's control. Currently Royal Jordanian Army is restructuring its armoured units,
Challenger 1 MBTs equipping four battalions will be replaced by 80
Leclerc donated from UAE and 80 upgraded second-hand Italian
Centauro 105 mm 8x8 Mobile Gun Systems by two battalions each, 75 German
Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles will replace
YPR-765s in two infantry battalions, while the
M60A3s will be upgraded and remain in service in four battalions supporting mechanized infantry brigades. ==Structure==