The annual Eager Lion military drill kicked off in Jordan on Sunday and runs until September 15. Eager Lion is now the largest US military exercise in the Middle East, and includes the participation of more than 4,000 military personnel from the armed forces of dozens of countries, as well as 1,000 civilians. It simulates real-life situations and security challenges such as cyber threats, terrorism, maritime and border security, weapons of mass destruction, missile defense, disaster response, and the provision of humanitarian aid, which require unified international efforts, and facilitates the exchange of military expertise among partner nations, with the aim of improving interoperability, according to the drill’s spokesman, Col. Mustafa Al-Hiyari.
“Eager Lion is a multifaceted event that demonstrates our commitment to partnerships and responsive joint forces operating in complex environments that offer no easy victories or quick wins,” according to Maj. Gen. Steven J. deMilliano, director of the Exercises and Training Directorate in the US Central Command.
The exercise was canceled last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The exact number of participating countries this year has been variously reported in the media as 26, 27, or 28. In addition to host Jordan, past participants have included Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yemen. Conspicuously missing from the list is Israel, and some observers have suggested that this explains why the number and identification of participating countries have been left vague.