The decision to deploy a Patriot missile battery and F-16 aircraft to Jordan was made late Friday, May 31 at a meeting with top military and civilian Defense Department officials to bolster U.S. military support for Jordan - a crucial ally in the Middle East - as the violence from the Syrian civil war spreads, according to a senior U.S. official, CNN reported.

The official declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation and also declined to say who was in the meeting. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been traveling outside the United States, and it could not be learned if he attended via teleconference, although several officials tell CNN he was aware of the discussions and approved the deployment.

The overall goal is to demonstrate U.S. military support for an increasingly fragile Jordan, which is bearing the burden of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and a growing potential threat from extremist elements including an al Qaeda affiliate organization operating inside Syria.

The weapons systems will be sent initially as part of a military exercise called Eager Lion, planned for later this month, with an understanding they may stay in the country. There is clearly a broader message being sent, according to U.S. military officials.