Page 44 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

NEWS Special

Postcard

from Jordan

A FM contributors Elio and reconnaissance and AT-802) were off- is under the command of be visited was the King
(ISR) units are involved in
Viroli and Stenio
KA2; today, it’s home to the
limits. Not far from here is
Hussein Air College at
Bacciocchi provide a
Zarqa, which now belongs
heavy-lift helicopter fleet.
training assets of the RJAF
the aprons of 15 and 25
photographic report from an sensitive operations, and the former army air base of recently acquired Mi-26T2 Mafraq, where the new
exclusive visit to facilities of Squadrons (Cessna 208B entirely to the RJAF and The final location to were displayed in full.
the Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Malakiya al-Urduniya
(Royal Jordanian Air Force,
RJAF) last September.
Unusual among Middle
Eastern air arms, the
RJAF has long provided
occasional opportunities for
enthusiasts to document its
varied fleet, helped by the
close relationship between
the service and the rulers
of the Hashemite Kingdom
– first, King Hussein and
now King Abdullah II
bin Al-Hussein, who is
today closely involved
with the armed forces.
Our correspondents
visited four air bases around
Amman and witnessed
the daily activity of the
resident air wings. First on
the itinerary was Amman-
Marka, a long-established Above: Seen at Amman-Marka, M28-05 Skytruck serial 355 wears a grey colour scheme and is apparently non-operational. A first
airfield not far from the M28 departed from PZL’s Mielec factory in December 2014, on delivery to the RJAF. The second departed Poland for the Middle
centre of the capital city. East in December the following year. Serial 355 was flown to the US for ISR conversion in August 2016 and returned to Jordan
during August 2017. Top: The 3 Squadron apron at Amman-Marka provided an opportunity to see the M28-05 fleet at close quarters,
The second air base including serial 356. This aircraft was sent to the US for ISR conversion in June 2018 and returned to Jordan last April and, at the
visited was King Abdullah time of AFM’s visit, was flying numerous training missions with di erent crews. Right: The cockpit of an upgraded Royal Jordanian

II AB (KA2), home of the Air Force AH-1F, one of a number of recently delivered modernised machines noted at King Abdullah II AB. Compared with the old
important Prince Hashim Bin HueyCobras, these are equipped with a new glass cockpit, improved forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor and revised weapons
Abdullah II Royal Aviation including the AGM-114R Hellfire air-to-ground missile. From 2018, a dozen AH-1F/S began a process of upgrade by Northrop
Brigade. The resident Grumman and Science and Engineering Services (SES) at Huntsville, Alabama. Seventeen AH-1s were o ered for sale in September

intelligence, surveillance 2018, which would ultimately just leave the 12 modernised aircraft in service. All photos Elio Viroli
44 // February 2020 #383 www.Key.Aero
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44-47 Jordan AFM Feb2020.indd 44 06/01/2020 09:09:51