US to expedite munitions delivery to Jordan

US efforts to speed up delivery of munitions and other weapons follow a vocal appeal from Jordan’s King Abdullah to American lawmakers last week for greater support.

WASHINGTON // The United States is readying plans to resupply Jordan with munitions in the coming weeks, possibly including precision-guided arms, expediting support for the kingdom as it expands its role in air strikes against ISIL, officials say.

US efforts to expedite delivery of munitions and other weapons follow a vocal appeal from Jordan’s King Abdullah to American lawmakers last week for greater support.

A source close to the Jordanian government said the kingdom believed its supplies of bombs are being stretched too thin as it expands its role in strikes following ISIL burning Jordanian pilot Maaz Al Kassasbeh alive.

The pilot’s death, shown in a video released earlier this month, has triggered a public backlash in Jordan and sharpened the focus of Arab allies contributing to the war effort.

Jordan is a key member of the US-led anti-ISIL coalition, which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

The Pentagon estimated that Jordan dropped 72 bombs in the first wave of its revenge strikes in Syria last week.

Jordanian military experts say the kingdom could struggle to sustain the intensity of the air strikes, even as King Abdullah has ordered his commanders to prepare for a bigger military role in the fight against ISIL.

He met with US lawmakers in Washington last week, saying he sought precision munitions along with aircraft parts and additional night vision equipment, and noted delays in working through normal US channels.

That prompted a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee, led by Republican Senator John McCain, urging the Obama administration to process Jordan’s requests “with a sense of urgency reflecting the pace of events.”

At his meeting with lawmakers, King Abdullah remarked that Jordan’s military had become adept at using unguided bombs but stressed the need for precision-guided munitions.

Sources in the US and Jordan say the kingdom has requested Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, which can modify conventional bombs to convert into precision-guided systems, using global position system (GPS) technology.

Anthony Cordesman, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said precision weapons bolster Jordan’s ability to hit targets without causing civilian casualties.

“If you’re going to have Jordan supporting the United States, as it is, in striking at the Islamic State, you want to be able to hit those targets very precisely,” Mr Cordesman said.

The US provides more than $300 million in security assistance to Jordan annually, a figure that is expected to grow. On February, 3 the US and Jordan signed a new memorandum of understanding that committed the Washington to increase its assistance from $660 million to $1 billion per year for 2015-2017.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said the goals were to help Jordan’s armed forces modernise and bolster its ability to “counter terrorism.”

* Reuters