Jordan’s royal air force has signed a multibillion-dollar agreement with the US to buy new F-16 fighter jets to replace its older versions.
A signing ceremony was held in Amman between Royal Jordanian Air Force Commander Brig Gen Mohammed Hiasat and the Deputy Chief of the US Mission to Jordan, Rohit Nepal, Petra news agency reported.
“This agreement is part of efforts to boost the defence capabilities of the kingdom and increase the level of combat readiness and joint operations with the US,” the Jordanian air force said.
“It also aims to strengthen the framework of co-operation between the two countries, support joint efforts to combat terrorism and promote stability in the region.”
The US State Department approved the sale of 16 F-16 fighter jets in February 2022, at an estimated cost of $4.21 billion.
Jordan's air force already operates 44 F16 A variants of the multi-role fighter and in 2020 they announced that instead of upgrading the older aircraft they would replace them with 12 newer C Block 70 variants and 4 D Block 70 versions.
The new aircraft will provide upgraded capabilities and 12 aircraft will be delivered in the first phase. There was no word from authorities on the remaining four aircraft in the deal.
“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,” the US Defence Security Co-operation Agency said at the time.
The US State Department last year approved Jordan's request for 12 F-16 C Block 70 fighter jets, radios, targeting pods and associated munitions components, including guided missile tail kits. The prime contractor for the jets would be Lockheed Martin, the DSCA said.
The F-16 fighter jets will allow Jordan to counter violent extremist organisations while bolstering its border defence, the DSCA said.
“Jordan will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces,” it said. “There will be no adverse impact on defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale.”
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Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
