The Royal Maintenance Corps "silah al siyana al-malaki" (سلاح الصيانة الملكي) is a branch of the
Jordanian Armed Forces. It must furnish continuous operation to the field and is responsible for flow of parts, and for every vehicle being operational and ready for battle. The corps' engineers are also responsible for upgrading the tanks in use.
Role in improving the Jordanian military
The maintenance corps role in improving Jordanian ground units, is to apply enhanced targeting systems on the
M60 Patton, the full reconstruction of several other vehicles such as the
Centurion tank
The Centurion was the primary British Army main battle tank of the post-World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seeing ...
and to upgrade the 274
Chieftain tank in a redesign called
Khalid ibn al-Walid
Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arab military commander. He initially headed campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career in ...
.
The Jordanian engineers were able to revolutionise the
Challenger 1
The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. It is also currently used by the Royal Jordanian Army as its main battle tank, after heavy m ...
turret system with an auto loader and a 120 mm smooth-bore gun.
Jordan unveils new turret for Al Hussein main battle tank - Jane's Land Forces News
/ref> Maintenance specialists were sent to the United States and Britain for advanced training.
History
In 1972, the Chieftain Tank needed enhancement in order to meet changing military needs. The Corps Commander, Major General Kharabsheh, installed the new laser targeting system on several tanks including the M60. This move was revolutionary for the Jordanian military. It made it possible for the cavalry to balance power with its neighbors.
Commanders
The king of Jordan selected the commanders of the corps. A list follows:
# Brigadier General Engineer Nael AL-Ragad 2009–present
# Major General Abdilwahab Kharabsheh ? - 1992
# Major General Mosleh AlMuthanna AlYamani 1988-1992
# Brigadier General Waleed a. Samkari 1992 - ?
# Major General Engineer Fadel Mohammed Ali
Major General Engineer Fadel Mohammed Ali (اللواء المهندس فضل محمد علي) (2010–1945) was the Director of Royal Maintenance Corps of the Jordanian Armed Forces responsible for supporting continuous operations for the milita ...
2000 - 2001
References
External links
Royal Jordanian maintenance corp
Jordanian armed forces
{{Military of Jordan
Maintenance Corps
Military administrative corps
Military units and formations established in 1920