The British Defense Ministry will present Jordan’s army with a contribution of up to 400 surplus Challenger-1 tanks. The offering is an extension of a 288-tank order confirmed between the two parties in 1999. Each tank is valued at £385,000 ($607,491).
The Kingdom received 44 Challenger-1 tanks from the British Defense Ministry in mid-October, bringing the total number of tanks received by the Jordan Armed Forces to 270. The Challenger-1s will replace the fleet’s British Centurion tanks and US M-60 tanks.
British Members of Parliament (MP) displayed concern over the decision to increase Jordan’s tank capacity at a time when there is high potential for military action against its neighbor Iraq. The MP’s were not convinced that information regarding Jordan’s beefed up fleet would remain concealed from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
London decided to supply the first 288 tanks as a sign of support for King Abdullah II, after he ascended the throne following the death of his father King Hussein in February 1999. The UK also funds training for individual Jordanian military personnel from all three branches of the Armed Forces. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
