Jordan: “We did not authorize intrusion into the airspace” – the documents prove otherwise

Did fighter jets actually penetrate Jordan’s airspace? The neighboring country claims this morning that it did not authorize military aircraft to enter its airspace. At what altitude do fighter jets fly, and did they actually penetrate its territory?

During the night, video images taken by citizens, who were presented as Jordanians, were published on the networks, in which a fighter jet was seen flying rapidly over the skies of Jordan, the neighboring country that leads towards Iran.

A country’s airspace refers to the airspace above the country’s land and sea territory, but it does not include outer space. There is no clear and absolute international agreement regarding the exact height at which a country’s airspace ends and outer space begins, but there is an accepted approach in international use, mainly for aerospace purposes.

The accepted point where the airspace of a country ends is considered to be the “Kármán line”, which is at a height of about 100 kilometers above sea level, which is 328 thousand feet. Below this altitude, everything in this area is considered part of the country’s airspace, over which it holds full sovereignty.

From this height, it is “outer space”, over which there is no state sovereignty, and it is defined as an area where interstate spaces are free for activity, according to the principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

A normal passenger plane usually flies at an altitude of 30 to 40 thousand feet. A fighter jet flies higher: F-16 reaches a maximum flight height of about 50 thousand feet, which is a little more than 15 thousand meters. The F-35 reaches a maximum flight altitude of about 60,000 feet, a little over 18,000 meters. If military planes did move over Jordan’s territory, it might see this as an intrusion into its airspace.

In such a situation, Jordan may act on several levels. A diplomatic response may lead to summoning the ambassador of the country involved for a reprimand, filing a complaint with the UN Security Council, and publicly declaring – as it did this morning – the violation in order to pressure the country that entered its airspace. In extreme cases, a country may intercept foreign aircraft using air defense systems or coordinate A joint response or receiving assistance in the defense of its airspace.

Considering that Jordan played a positive role in defending against missile attacks from Iran on Israel last April, it is likely that its response to the Israeli intrusion into its airspace will be calculated, while maintaining regional stability and relations with Israel.

It is possible that Jordan will take a diplomatic approach and demand clarifications from Israel regarding the intrusion. The Jordanian government may summon the Israeli ambassador for urgent talks, but will maintain a moderate approach to avoid exacerbating tensions. It is very likely that Jordan will not choose a very severe direct response against Israel, since its strategic goals are focused on maintaining the stability of the region and not on escalating the situation. Even if it feels its sovereignty is being violated, it is expected to take diplomatic steps instead of military steps, without undermining the critical relationship with Israel