AMMAN: The Jordanian military announced on Sunday the launch of the “Eager Lion” military exercise, with ground, air forces and naval from 33 countries represented including the United States, France and Britain.
The exercises, slated to conclude on May 23, encompass a spectrum of training scenarios, ranging from anti-terrorism operations to air defense maneuvers, as detailed by army spokesman Colonel Mustafa al-Hiyari during a news conference.
Colonel al-Hiyari underscored the primary objective of “Eager Lion” as bolstering capabilities to combat terrorist organizations while also addressing emerging threats such as the proliferation of drones, and the specter of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction, alongside the capacity to respond to major disasters.
The multinational participation, encompassing forces from “32 countries in addition to Jordan,” reflects a concerted effort to confront contemporary transnational threats, according to Colonel al-Hiyari.
Described as the “largest” iteration of the exercise since its inception in 2011, “Eager Lion” unfolds against a backdrop of escalating hostilities in the region, notably amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. However, Colonel al-Hiyari emphasized that the exercises remain unrelated to regional developments.
The previous iteration of “Eager Lion” in September 2022 saw the involvement of approximately 2,200 Jordanian soldiers, 1,700 from the United States, and a collective contingent of 400 personnel from 27 other nations.
