Royal Air Force of Oman - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) (Al-Quwwat al-Jawiyya al-Sultaniyya al-'Umaniyya) is the air arm of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
The Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces are the Royal Army of Oman , Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Sultanate of Oman...

History

The Sultan of Oman's Air Force (SOAF) was formed with British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

personnel and aircraft in March 1959. The first aircraft were two Scottish Aviation Pioneer

Scottish Aviation Pioneer

-External links:* *...

s transferred from the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

. The first armed aircraft was the Percival Provost T52

Percival Provost

|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0148-4....

.

In 1968 the SOAF received the first of 24 BAC Strikemaster jet trainer and light strike aircraft for operation against insurgents in the Dhofar

Dhofar

The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...

region. In 1974 the SOAF was expanded with orders for the Britten Norman Defender, BAC One-Eleven

BAC One-Eleven

The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...

, BAC VC10

Vickers VC10

The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...

and 32 Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...

ground attack aircraft. In 1977 Jaguar International

SEPECAT Jaguar

The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...

joined the SOAF, followed in the 1980s by the BAe Hawk.

In 1990 the SOAF was renamed the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). In 1993 and 1994 the RAFO replaced its Hawker hunters with four BAE Hawk Mk 103 lead in fighter-trainers and 12 single-seat Hawk Mk 203, equipped with Westinghouse APG-66H radar, as light ground attack/interceptors. In September 1997 after the evaluation of new combat aircraft the RAFO decided to upgrade and extend the service lives of its remaining 17 SEPECAT Jaguar ground attack fighters until the second decade of the 21st centuary. A contact was placed with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

to upgrade the avionics of the Jaguar aircraft for $40 million. In 2005 deliveries started of the F-16, equipped with improved GPS/INS. The aircraft can carry a further batch of advanced missiles; the AGM-88 HARM

AGM-88 HARM

The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...

missile, JDAM, JSOW and WCMD. Block 50 aircraft are powered by the F110-GE-129 while the Block 52 jets use the F100-PW-229.

For the future Oman is considering the purchase of either Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...

or JAS 39 Gripen

JAS 39 Gripen

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...

aircraft. On 3 August 2010 the USA Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the congress of a possible sale of 18 F-16 Block 50/52 to Oman in a contract worth 3.5 Billion USD. In addition to the new fighters, the contract included upgrading existing 12 F-16 C/D in the RAFO inventory.

Equipment

Bell

-Sound and music:* Bell , a percussion instrument, usually cup-shaped* Bell * Bell cymbal* Bell effect, a musical technique* Bell Orchestre, a six-piece instrumental band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada...

-214\214T

|

| utility helicopter

| 11 (5 Bell 214

Bell 214

|-See also:-External links:...

+ 6 Bell 214

Bell 214

|-See also:-External links:...

ST

|

|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB212 Twin Huey
|
| helicopter
| AB212
| 3
|
|-----
| AgustaWestland AW139

AgustaWestland AW139

The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it was redesignated the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project...

|
| helicopter
| AW139
| 4
| 4 delivered of total ten. All for Royal Oman Police

Royal Oman Police

The Royal Oman Police , also known as Oman Police , is the main law and order agency for the Sultanate of Oman. It maintains a helicopter fleet and also carries on the duties of safeguarding the long Omani coastline.-Background:...

aviation wing.
|-----
| Airbus A320CJ

Airbus A320

The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...

|
| transport
| A320CJ
| 2
|
|-----

| Dornier Do 228-100

Dornier Do 228

The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...

|
| light transport
| Do 228-100
| 2
|
|-----
| Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec

Eurocopter Fennec

|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...

|
| helicopter
| AS 550
| 3
|for Omani Royal Flight
|-----
| Eurocopter EC 225 Super Puma

Eurocopter Super Puma

The Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter marketed for both civil and military use. Originally designed and built by Aérospatiale, it is an enlarged and re-engined version of the original Aérospatiale Puma...

Bell 206

The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...

UH-1 Iroquois

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...

|
| helicopter
| HH-1H
| 20
|
|-----
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules
|
| tactical transport
| C-130H
C-130J-30
| 3
0
|one C-130J-30 to be delivered in mid-2012. 2 more ordered in August 2010.
|-----
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
|
| fighter
| F-16C
F-16D
| 12
|possible purchase of 18 additional F-16 Block 50/52
|-----
| NHI NH90
|
| helicopter
|
| 20
|
|-----
| PAC Super MFI-17 Mushshak
|
| trainer
|
| 7
| 8 deliverd.
|-----
| Pilatus PC-9M

Pilatus PC-9

The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.-Design and development:...

|
| trainer
| PC-9M
| 12
|
|-----
| SEPECAT Jaguar S/B

SEPECAT Jaguar

SEPECAT Jaguar

deliverd.
|-----
| Super Falke
|
| trainer
|
| 2
|
|-----
| Short SC.7 Skyvan 3M

Short SC.7 Skyvan

-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 . London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.-External links:****...

Westland Lynx

The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

|
| helicopter
| Lynx Mk 120
| 15
|
|----
|Total
|
|
|
| 224+
|----

AAMs

70 MBDA

MBDA

MBDA is a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States. It was formed by a merger of Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles , Finmeccanica and Matra BAe Dynamics in December 2001. In 2003 the company had 10,000 employees...

R.550 Magic 550 AIM-9P\L Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...

50 AIM-120 AMRAAM

AIM-120 AMRAAM

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...

310 AIM-9M Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

60 MBDA

MBDA

MICA-IR\RF

Bombs

BL-755 GBU-31\38 (84) JDAM (GBU-13\32) Paveway-II (150) (GBU-10\12\16) CBU-97 SFW350 (50)

Avionics\Pods

2 TARS 7 Sniper AN-AAQ-33\ AN-ALE-47 AN-ALQ-211 JHMCS Pilot helmet Topowl TWE 12 AN\APG-66 combat aircraft radars (forF-16C\D)

Historical Aircraft

33 Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter

FGA.73\73A\73B, FR.10, T.66 4 Douglas C-47 Dakota 5 de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...

6 de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...

4 de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo

De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo

The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing utility transport, a turboprop aircraft developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou...

7 Vickers Viscount

Vickers Viscount

The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...

9 Percival Provost Mk 52

Percival Provost

|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0148-4....

4 Westland Wessex HC.2

Westland Wessex

The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force...

25 BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk 82\82A 8 Northrop

Northrop

Northrop Corporation was a major United States aircraft manufacturer which merged with Grumman in 1994 to form Northrop Grumman.Northrop may also refer to:-Places:In the United States:* Northrop, Minnesota, a town...

F-5A Freedom Fighter-loan from Iran
2 Pilatus PC-6 Porter
4 AS-202

AS-202

AS-202 was the second unmanned, suborbital test flight of a production Block I Apollo Command/Service Module launched with the Saturn IB launch vehicle. It launched August 25, 1966 and was the first flight which included the spacecraft Guidance and Navigation Control system and fuel cells...

Bravo

Bravo may refer to:*Rio Grande, a river that flows through Mexico and the United States, also known as "Río Bravo"In media:*Bravo!, a specialty arts channel in Canada*Bravo , a youth magazine in Germany and Russia...

4 Pioneer

Pioneer

A pioneer is a soldier employed to perform engineering tasks. The term is in principle similar to sapper.Pioneers were originally part of the Artillery branch of European armies. Their primary job was to assist other Arms in tasks such as construction of field fortifications or military camps...

ligth aircraft.
8 BN-2 Islander

Islander

The Islander was the 34-foot yawl that Harry Pidgeon sailed around the world single-handed, becoming the second person to do so after Joshua Slocum.-History:...

3 BAe

Bae

Bae, also often spelled Pae or Pai, is a unique Korean family name. The South Korean census of 2000 found 372,064 people by this surname, or slightly less than 1% of the population....

BAC-1-11

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