Active 1969 - present Branch Jordanian Armed Forces Size ~ 15,000 (2012 est.) | Country Jordan Type Division | |
 | ||
Role Conventional warfare, peacekeeping | ||
The King Abdullah II 3rd Armored Division (Arabic:3 فرقة الملك عبدالله الثاني المدرعة) is the only division left in Jordanian Armed Forces and is equipped and trained for high intensity combat operations against militarily organized enemies as well as peacekeeping missions.
Contents
History
The 3rd Armored Division was formed in 1969.
The Division functions as the Jordanian strategic reserve and it is deployed between Zarqa, to the northeast of Amman to Qatraneh in the south on the way to Saudi Arabia.
Since Qatraneh has a strategic position vis-a-vis the attack routes along the Dead Sea, the 40th Armored Brigade was usually based there.
Kenneth Pollack, a U.S. military analyst, wrote in c.2002 that 'from 1948 to 1956, the Arab Legion was far superior to any of the other Arab militaries. In battle, it generally gave as good as it got, and the Israelis considered it their most dangerous adversary. However, after 1956, the Jordanian capabilities began to decline. In 1967 they performed worse than in 1948, although the exceptional performance of the 40th Armoured Brigade and a number of Israeli mistakes helped disguise the deterioration somewhat. Thereafter Jordanian capabilities continued to gradually erode.'
In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 40th Armoured Brigade was sent to the Syrian front and played a significant role in the fighting.
King Abdullah II became Battalion Commander of the Second Royal Armored Battalion - 40th Armored Brigade in January 1992. In 1993, he was in the 40th Armored Brigade with the rank of Colonel.
This Division was involved in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Reprisal operations, the 67, the Battle of Karameh, the War of Attrition, Black September and the Yom Kippur War.
Organisation
The Division is deployed between Zarqa, to the northeast of Amman to Qatraneh in the south on the way to Saudi Arabia. The Division commander is Brigadier General Jumah AL Hrout.