November 12, 2024

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Princess Salma: The Jordanian princess is a fighter pilot

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Jordanian RoyalShould the king's daughter protect her country as a fighter pilot?

The Royal Jordanian Air Force assisted Israel in intercepting drones and missiles. Princess Salma bint Abdullah may now be commissioned as a trained fighter pilot.

Kathryn Offner
Van
  • Princess Salma bint Abdullah graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy and became the first female fighter pilot in the Jordanian military in 2020.

  • In a conflict between Israel and Iran, she may now be called upon to defend the country.

  • “There is a possibility that the Jordanian Air Force will take the risk of letting the pilot fly. She can make a name for herself with successful kills without taking any major risks,” said a former lieutenant colonel, a top US Air Force officer.

When the mullahs' regime launched a military attack on Israel on Saturday, Jordan closed its airspace. The Royal Jordanian Air Force supported Israel in intercepting more than 300 drones and missiles. For this reason the question arises: should Princess Salma bint Abdullah now? To protect their country?

Besides Crown Prince Hussein, 29, the daughter of King Abdullah, 62, and Queen Rani, 53, serve in the Jordanian army. In 2018, the 23-year-old graduated from the prestigious Sandhurst Military Academy in England with the rank of second lieutenant. His brother, his father and Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry, 39, have already trained there.

After another advanced training, Salma became the first female fighter pilot in the Jordanian military in 2020. The royal daughter later completed her undergraduate studies at USC University in California in 2023.

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It's a difficult balancing act for the royal family

Shortly after graduation, he stepped back into the cockpit as a fighter pilot and flew missions into crisis zones. Last December, he carried relief supplies to a hospital in Gaza. Could Princess Salma also be used in the fight against Islamic rule?

As she revealed to CNN in the fall, Queen Rania welcomes it when her children show themselves close to people. But for members of the royal family and the military, it's a dangerous balancing act because of the safety of everyone involved.

Prince Harry vividly described his deployment to Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 in his autobiography, “Spare.” He was called the “Ball Magnet”. Even if he wanted a major surgery, the royal family and the army would not have allowed it. This applies to Princess Salma and especially to her brother, Crown Prince Hussein. The succession of the royal family should not be in danger at any time.

“She can make a name for herself.”

Therefore, the use of the king's daughter may be limited to humanitarian operations, as a former lieutenant colonel of the highest rank of the US Air Force explains to “Bild”: “This attack by Iran did not come with the most dangerous attack systems. Allied air intelligence had everything on the radar.

He adds: “Therefore, a well-equipped Jordanian air force will take the risk of allowing a pilot to fly. She can make a name for herself with successful kills without taking any major risks.”