Royal Army of Oman

Oman has a military history which dates back to the seventh century, when troops from the Alozd tribe were strong enough to help Abu Bakr, companion of the Islamic prophet Mohammed. At the beginning of the seventeenth century there were local forces associated with Ya'ariba dynasty.[5] It was this dynasty, which forced the expulsion of Portuguese from the country in 1650. The Ya'ariba dynasty were responsible for most of the fortified site across what is now th Sultanate of Oman from Musandam in the north to the southern province of Dhofar.

The Royal Army of Oman officially traces its origins back to the formation of the Muscat Garrison in 1907,[6] this local garrison force was developed and became the Muscat Infantry in 1921.[7] An agreement between the Omani and the British governments in 1958 led to the creation of the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF) and the creation of formally structured Omani army units. At the same time the United Kingdom promised to provide direct assistance in the development of the SAF and its land forces.[8] During the 1960 and 1970s, army units fought in the Dhofar Rebellion alongside British units and[3] it relied on embedded unit-level British military advisors, who saw combat alongside the units they were very much part of.[9] At the end of the Dhofar Rebellion the Omani army became an independent service known as the Sultan of Oman Land Forces in 1976. In 1990, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said renamed his land forces the Royal Army of Oman (RAO).[10] The RAO frequently exercises with the armed forces of fellow Gulf Cooperation Council nations and other strategic defense partners such as the US and UK.[11]

According to the latest MoD Telephone Directory published by Omantel,[12] RAO is structured as follows:

HM Sultan Qaboos in the field observing an army exercise in 1980

Omani Army positions at Sarfayt in 1972, during the Dhofar Rebellion

A British military advisor and his Omani Junood in 1980

Oregon National Guard Training in Oman alongside the Omani Army (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Cory Grogan, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Omani soldiers and US Marines exercising in 2017

• HQ RAO at Muaskar al Murtafa'a (MAM) near Seeb[13][14]
• Two infantry brigades:[15]
  • 11 Brigade (the southern brigade) based in Salalah
  • 23 Brigade (the northern brigade) based at MAM
• The Sultan's Armour Units (MSO) based at Sultan bin Safy Camp at Shafa, near Izki[16]
  • Two regiments of main battle tanks (Challenger 2 and M60A3)
  • Medium Reconnaissance Regiment (FV101 Scorpion)
• The Border Guard Brigade with a base in Haima in the Al Wusta Governate[17][18]
• Infantry
  • Muscat Regiment (MR) based at Bidbid - Mowag Piranha-equipped Mechanised Infantry
  • Northern Frontier Regiment (NFR) based at Ibri and Buraimi
  • Desert Regiment (DR) based at Ibra - Mowag Piranha-equipped Mechanised Infantry
  • Jebel Regiment (JR) based at Nizwa
  • Southern Regiment (KJ) one battalion based at Salalah near the Royal Palace on the Taqah Road
  • Western Frontier Regiment (WFR) based at Thumrait[19]
  • Sultan of Oman's Parachute Regiment (SOPR) based at Rustaq[20]
  • Oman Reconnaissance Regiment based in Dhofar
• Border and Local Security Forces (light infantry role)
  • Western Border Security Force based at Al Qabil
  • Coastal Security Force based at Sur
  • Musandam Security Force (MSF) based at Bukha[21]
  • Rural Security Forces based in Salalah (replaced Firqat Forces)
• Sultan of Oman's Artillery
  • Northern artillery units based at Izki
  • Southern artillery units based at Thumrait in Dhofar
• SAF Signals based in MAM (with units supporting 11 Brigade)
• SAF Engineers based in MAM (with units supporting 11 Brigade)
• SAF Transport based in Mabela (with units supporting 11 Brigade)
• SAF Electrical & Mechanical Engineers based in MAM (with units supporting 11 Brigade)
• SAF Ordnance based in MAM (with units supporting 11 Brigade)
• SAF Medical Services main hospitals at Al Khoudh (north) and Umm al Ghawarif (south) and other base locations
• Training Establishments
  • National Defence College Bayt al Falaj, Ruwi, Muscat[22]
  • Military Technical College near Seeb Airport[23]
  • Sultan Qaboos Military College (KSQA) including the RAO Officer Training School based at Aydem in Dhofar[24]
  • Sultan Armed Forces Training Regiment[25]
  • Battle Training Centre - Saiq, Jebel al Akhdhar[26]

Based on locational evidence given in Omantel telephone directory listings (telephone number associations),[12][27] historical recollections of British servicemen[28] and analysis of Google Earth and Google Map imagery and cartographic data[29] the following RAO garrisons have been identified:

Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks in the deserts of Oman

M-60 Main Battle Tanks on parade in 1981

Anti-aircraft missiles of the Oman Artillery (Land Rovers towing Rapier missile wheeled launchers)

105mm Light Guns on parade in 1981

In 2008 Oman spent 7.7% of GDP on military expenditures.

Oman has one armored brigade (MSO) equipped with the Challenger 2 and the M60A1 and M60A3 Patton tanks.

Between 2001 and 2004 Oman received 174 amphibious light armored vehicles and more than 80 armored VBL from France.[30]

In May 2013 the United States announced a deal with Oman valued at $2.1 billion to supply a ground-based air defense system.[31]

172 FNSS Pars Armoured combat vehicle ordered for delivery from 2017, total cost $500m

Oman looks to acquire K2 main battle tanks from South Korea. South Korean Defense Company Hyundai Rotem Co. could sell 76 K2 Black Panther Main Battle Tanks to Oman, a deal that could reach an amount up to $884.6 million.[32]