Jordan has put its forces on high alert ahead of anticipated Western airstrikes against the Syrian regime.

Jordan has said it will not be a launch-pad for any foreign military intervention in Syria. But as the West threatens to strike the regime in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons, it seems that Jordan’s Army is ready for various possibilities.

The Army has been silent on the anticipated strikes, but these exclusive images of F 16 jets testify that the situation is not all as normal as it may seem.

The Jordanian Air force is one of the strongest in the Arab world, possessing many of the most advanced fighter-jets in the world today.

Jordan is also one of few countries that possess the multiple Himars truck-mounted rocket launchers that exceed 70 kilometers in range and can identify a target within seconds.

A political solution in Syria remains the favorable option for Jordan, but the army says it is prepared to defend the country and its people at any time.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs of Defence of Britain and other countries met in Jordan on August 26 to discuss the situation in Syria, a British Ministry of Defence spokesman said on Saturday.

The meeting is the third that the top Military Officers have held this year to better understand the situation in Syria and how neighboring countries can be helped to manage the risks to the region, he said.

The meeting was long-planned and was not called in response to a reported chemical weapons attack near Damascus, the spokesman said.

A French Army spokesman said France's Defence Chief had also been invited, and that the meeting was long-planned.

 

Source: Al Arabiya; Reuters