Jordan scrambles F-16 fighter jets to intercept Iranian drones over its airspace.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force scrambled F-16 fighter jets armed with AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles to intercept Iranian drones crossing toward and within Jordanian airspace since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

On March 2, 2026, the Royal Jordanian Air Force scrambled F-16A/B fighter jets armed with AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to intercept Iranian drones crossing toward and within Jordanian airspace. The drones were part of broader regional launches linked to Operation Epic Fury. Interceptions were conducted to protect national airspace and civil aviation corridors from Iranian drone and missile strikes crossing Iraqi and Syrian airspace.
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The Royal Jordanian Air Force scrambled a part of its 64 F-16A/B fighter jets, armed with AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, to intercept Iranian drones crossing toward and within Jordanian airspace during Epic Fury. (Picture source: US Air Force and X/OSINTdefender - Edit by Army Recognition)

According to OSINTdefender, the Royal Jordanian Air Force decided to scramble its F-16 fighter jets armed with AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to intercept Iranian drones transiting toward and across Jordanian airspace. Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, hundreds of Iranian one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles have been fired on trajectories crossing Iraqi and Syrian airspace, creating repeated overflight risks for neighboring states. Several of these routes pass within radar coverage of northern and eastern Jordan, intersecting civil aviation corridors linking Amman with Gulf destinations. Jordan stated that it would not allow its airspace to be used as a transit corridor for armed systems and that interceptions were conducted to protect population centers and commercial air traffic.

Jordan currently operates 64 F-16A/B fighter jets acquired under successive Peace Falcon programs, which form the backbone of its air defense alert missions. Peace Falcon I, signed on July 29, 1996, was a $220 million agreement authorizing the lease of 16 Block 15 ADF jets, including 12 F-16A and 4 F-16B models, with 13 provided under a no-cost five-year lease because they had exceeded 3,000 flight hours and three B-models covered under a $4.5 million lease; a related $215 million Letter of Offer and Acceptance funded structural upgrades, engine modifications to the Pratt and Whitney F100-220E standard, support equipment, logistics, and training, while Falcon-Up and Service Life Improvement work extended airframe life from 4,000 to 8,000 hours.

Peace Falcon II delivered 16 F-16As and one F-16B Block 15 ADF in 2003, many of which were later converted to Block 20 Mid-Life Update (MLU) standard, incorporating cockpit, avionics, sensor, and weapons enhancements under an $87 million contract signed in January 2004. Peace Falcon III added 16 Belgian Block 20 MLU fighters in 2008-2009, while Peace Falcon IV brought six F-16BMs in 2009. Peace Falcon V, concluded in July 2011, included six F-16AMs and three F-16BMs from Belgium, and Peace Falcon VI, finalized in 2013, added 13 F-16A and two F-16B Block 20 MLU fighters from the Netherlands.

The F-16A single-seat and F-16B two-seat variants marked the beginning of operational service for the Fighting Falcon, entering frontline use at the end of the 1970s. Designed as a lightweight day fighter with exceptional maneuverability, the aircraft introduced a blended wing-body configuration, relaxed static stability with fly-by-wire flight controls, and a frameless bubble canopy that dramatically improved pilot visibility. Early production aircraft were powered by the Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200 engine and equipped with the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 pulse-doppler radar, giving the jet look-down shoot-down capability that was uncommon among lightweight fighters of its generation. The two-seat F-16B retained full combat capability, allowing it to serve both as a conversion trainer and an operational asset in air defense and strike roles.

Through the Block 1, Block 5, Block 10, and especially Block 15 standards, the F-16A/B progressively gained structural, avionics, and weapons improvements that expanded its combat relevance. Block 15 introduced larger horizontal stabilizers, additional hardpoints, radar refinements, and enhanced communications, significantly increasing payload flexibility and mission endurance. Over time, many operators integrated beyond-visual-range missiles, precision-guided munitions, electronic countermeasures pods, and improved navigation systems. Although later F-16C/D variants incorporated more advanced radars and mission computers, the A/B models formed the backbone of numerous air forces and proved adaptable to air superiority, interception, close air support, and maritime strike missions.

The Block 20 Mid-Life Update configuration transformed earlier F-16A/B aircraft into a standard approaching the capabilities of later F-16C/D models. In the MLU program, the cockpit received color multifunction displays, a modular mission computer with higher processing power, improved data buses, and compatibility with advanced targeting pods. The radar evolved into upgraded AN/APG-66 variants with enhanced range and multi-target tracking performance, enabling the employment of beyond-visual-range missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Structural refurbishments and wiring updates extended service life while ensuring compatibility with modern precision-guided weapons and updated electronic warfare suites.

Operationally, the Block 20 MLU bridged the gap between fourth-generation baseline fighters and more modern multi-role aircraft. It allowed air forces to retain proven airframes while integrating digital avionics, advanced identification friend or foe systems, GPS-aided navigation, and expanded weapons envelopes. The result was a cost-effective modernization path that significantly improved survivability, network integration, and mission flexibility, especially in air policing, coalition strike operations, and counter-air roles where situational awareness and rapid engagement are decisive.

Modernized F-16A/B and Block 20 MLU aircraft commonly employ the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, and in some configurations the AIM-7 Sparrow. These missiles are increasingly used in counter-drone missions because unmanned aerial systems can operate at medium or high altitude, may fly in coordinated groups, and can threaten strategic infrastructure or population centers. The AIM-120, with active radar guidance, allows beyond-visual-range engagement, enabling a fighter to neutralize a drone before it reaches defended airspace. Its fire-and-forget capability permits rapid re-engagement against multiple targets, a key advantage when facing swarm tactics.

The AIM-9 Sidewinder remains valuable against smaller drones, particularly those with limited radar cross-section but detectable infrared signatures. Its high agility and off-boresight targeting compatibility allow quick reaction intercepts during visual engagements. The AIM-7 Sparrow, while older and semi-active radar guided, can still be effective when supported by continuous radar illumination, especially against larger unmanned systems with predictable flight paths. Using fighter-launched air-to-air missiles to counter drones provides speed, altitude advantage, and flexible rules of engagement, ensuring that hostile unmanned threats are intercepted well before they can conduct reconnaissance, deliver munitions, or saturate ground-based air defense systems.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.