The Royal Army of Oman protects the sovereignty

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

 of Oman

Oman

Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

. In terms of matériel, the Army is small but well equipped to the extent that external aggression is now realistically deterred.

Field organization

• One divisional HQ
• Two brigade HQ (Northern Brigade, Southern Brigade)

• Armour
  • Two Armoured Regiments (battalion-sized, one with Challenger 2, one with M60A3)
  • Armoured Car Regiment (battalion)
• Infantry
  • Mechanized Regiment (one battalion)
  • Muscat Regiment (one battalion)
  • Northern Frontier Regiment (one battalion)
  • Desert Regiment (one battalion)
  • Jebel Regiment (one battalion)
  • Southern Regiment (two battalions, composed of Baluchi personnel)
• Artillery
  • Four Artillery Regiments (battalions)
• SAF Signals
• SAF Engineers
• SAF Electrical & Mechanical Engineers

Equipment

The Omani army is qualitatively superior to that of many neighbouring countries with one regiment of British-built Challenger 2 main battle tanks and the other slightly larger regiment of M60

M60 Patton

The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...

 (predominantly M60A3

M60 Patton

The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...

) MBTs rounding out Oman's sole armoured brigade. Oman recently received 174 Piranha light armoured vehicles and over 80 VBL scout cars from France to further strengthen military capabilities. In terms of artillery, in the 1990s Oman received G6 155 mm howitzers from South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, and Oman's anti-tank capabilities are to be greatly strengthened by the soon-to-be-delivered 100 Javelin missiles from the United States. On a troop level, Oman's armed forces are frequently trained and briefed by the regular British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 and elite British Special Air Service

Special Air Service

Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...

 (SAS).

In addition to the relatively high calibre of weaponry, Oman's close historical and military ties with Britain virtually guarantees Omani sovereignty, and strengthening relations with Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 assures the Royal Army of Oman of a quiet immediate future.

Armoured Vehicles

Challenger 2 main battle tank

Main battle tank

A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

 (38) Challenger-ARV

Armoured recovery vehicle

An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...

 (4) Chieftain tank

Chieftain tank

The FV 4201 Chieftain was the main battle tank of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the most advanced tanks of its era, and at the time of its introduction in 1966 had the most powerful main gun and heaviest armour of any tank in the world...

-MK-5 (27)-status unknown M60A1

M60 Patton

The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...

 (6) M60A3

M60 Patton

The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...

 (93)
M88

M88

M88, M-88 or M/88 may refer to:* Messier 88, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices* BMW M88, an inline 6-cylinder piston engine* Tumansky M-88, an air-cooled radial aircraft engine* M88 'Hercules', a US tank recovery vehicle...

A-1 Recovery (1)
M728 Recovery (3) Mowag Piranha

Mowag Piranha

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....

 8x8 LAV's (175) Panhard VBL

VBL

The Panhard Véhicule Blindé Léger is a wheeled 4x4 all-terrain vehicle offered in various configurations. It was designed to combine the agility of the Peugeot VLTT liaison vehicle with adequate protection against small arms fire, artillery fragments, mines and NBC weapons...

 (132) including 8 with BGM-71 TOW

BGM-71 TOW

The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...

 ATGM Missile launcher. Panhard VAB

Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé

The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is an armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed by the Euro Mobilité Division of GIAT Industries of France. It entered service in 1976; around 5,000 were produced.- Design :The VAB was designed as a wheeled troop transporter, complementing the...

 4x4 &6x6 including 6 with 2RM 120mm heavy mortar\ 6 VAB-VCI and 8 VAB-VTT (23-33) Fahd APC (31-100) WZ-551B (50) HMMWV Hummer Commando MK-III 4x4 (10) FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance , CVR, family of seven armoured vehicles...

 (37-60) FV103 Spartan

FV103 Spartan

FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...

 (6-16) FV105 Sultan

FV105 Sultan

FV105 Sultan is a British Army command and control vehicle based on the CVR platform. It has a higher roof than the APC variants, providing a more comfortable "office space" inside. This contains a large vertical map board and desk along one side, with a bench seat for three people facing it...

 (13) FV106 Samson

FV106 Samson

FV106 Samson is a British Army armoured recovery vehicle, one of the CVR family. The main role of this vehicle is to recover the CVR family of vehicles, but can recover other light tracked vehicles such as the FV430 series.-Design and features:...

 (3) Alvis Stormer

Alvis Stormer

Alvis Stormer is a modern military armoured vehicle manufactured by the British company, Alvis Vickers, now BAE Systems Global Combat Systems....

 (10) Alvis Saladin

Alvis Saladin

The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...

 (38)-status unknown Saxon

Saxon (vehicle)

The Saxon is an armoured personnel carrier used by the British Army and supplied in small numbers to various overseas organisations. It was developed by GKN Sankey, from earlier projects, AT 100 IS and AT104, and is due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System.-Design:The Saxon was intended...

 (22) Cadillac Gage Commando (20) BTR-80

BTR-80

BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...

-? VBC-90

VBC-90

The VBC-90 is a 6x6 armoured car equipped with a 90 mm high velocity gun in a GIAT TS 90 rotating turret.It equips the armoured squadron of the Mobile Gendarmerie, with 32 units built....

 (9)
Recently ordered: 6-12 B1 Centauro

B1 Centauro

The Centauro is a wheeled tank destroyer designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco Fiat - Oto Melara...

s with 120 mm gun (Hitfact). Italy

Artillery

Type-90A 122mm MRLs (12) G6 howitzer

G6 howitzer

The G6 self-propelled howitzer is a South African artillery piece, developed around the ordnance of the G5 howitzer. It is one of the most powerful self-propelled guns on a wheeled chassis....

s (24) M-109

M109 howitzer

The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin...

A2 (15)-status unknown L118 Light Gun

L118 Light Gun

The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...

 (39) Type 59-1 (12) M46

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)

The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...

 130mm Gun (15) FH-70

FH-70

The FH-70 is a towed howitzer in use with several nations.-History:In 1963 NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently Germany and UK started discussions and design studies and in 1968 established Agreed Operational...

 (12) 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) (30) L16 81mm Mortar

L16 81mm Mortar

The United Kingdom's L16 81 mm mortar is the standard mortar used by the British armed forces. It originated as a joint design by UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S...

 M-102

M102 howitzer

First introduced during the Vietnam War, the M102 was the light-towed 105 mm howitzer used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War, the First Gulf War, and most recently in the Iraq War.- An Air Mobile Howitzer for the Vietnam War :...

 105mm Howitzer (36) Brandt

Brandt (company)

Brandt Zwieback-Schokoladen GmbH + Co. KG is a zwieback and chocolate producer in Germany. The company was established in 12 October 1912 in Hagen by Carl Brandt. In 2007, director Peter Scharf made a documentary on the company's history for WDR....

 120mm mortar (12) 2R2M 120mm SP\on VAB

Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé

The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is an armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed by the Euro Mobilité Division of GIAT Industries of France. It entered service in 1976; around 5,000 were produced.- Design :The VAB was designed as a wheeled troop transporter, complementing the...

 mortar (14) M-30

M30 107 mm Mortar

The M30 107 mm heavy mortar is an American rifled, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to infantry units.-Design:...

 107mm mortar-SP\on M-106A-2 APCs (12) Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon

Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon

The Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon Contraves . The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001...

  GDF-007 (10)\ Italy Skyguard-AD system (Aspide SAMs+Oerlikon GDF-002 35mm twin AAGs) Tigercat SAMsBofors 40mm gun VDAA 2x20mm SP-AAGs (9) ZU-23 2x23mm AAGs (4-5) M-167A2 VADS

M163 VADS

The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that was used by the United States Army. The M168 gun is a variant of the General Dynamics 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, the standard cannon in most US combat aircraft since the 1960s, mounted on either an armored...

 20mm AAG Crotale anti-aircraft missile Mistral anti-aircraft missile (54) launchers\230 missiles. Rapier

Rapier

A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...

 MK-2\Jernas SAMs (40) launchers\600 Rapier-1+ 800 Rapier-2 missiles. Blowpipe MANPADs-200 missiles. Javelin

Javelin

A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...

 MANPADs (30) launchers\280 missiles. SA-7 Grail MANPADs (34) BGM-71F TOW-2B ATGMs (18)launchers\562 missiles. BGM-71A\C Improved TOW ATGMs 26 launchers\220 missiles. FGM-148 ATGMs 30 launchers\250 missiles Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 ATGMs 32-50 launchers LAW

Anti-tank warfare

Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...

 MK-80 Light ATRLs\ RPG-7

RPG-7

The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...

V Light ATRLs SHORAR radar system (2)
Blindfire

Blindfire

Blindfire is when a person fires a weapon from behind an object and does not reveal themself. While performing this, the person usually does not know where he is aiming and is thus shooting "blindly"....

 radar systems for Rapier

Rapier

A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...

 missiles (18)
Skyguard

Skyguard

Skyguard may refer to:* Skyguard * The Skyguard radar system used with Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon...

-radar systems for Skyguard

Skyguard

Skyguard may refer to:* Skyguard * The Skyguard radar system used with Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon...

 A\D systems (5)
Cymbeline

Cymbeline

Cymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...

 artillery location radar (3) Avenger

Avenger

Avenger may refer to:-Military:* Avro Avenger, biplane fighter design* The SP 17pdr, A30 , a variant of the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger British self-propelled gun* Avenger-class escort carrier, a British aircraft carrier...

 SP-air defense system-on order
SL-AMRAAM SP-air defence system-on order

Small arms

Steyr AUG

Steyr AUG

The AUG is an Austrian bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1970s by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG . The AUG was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 in 1977, where it replaced the 7.62mm StG 58 automatic rifle...

  Service rifle

Service rifle

The service rifle of a given army or armed force is that which it issues as standard to its soldiers. In modern forces, this is typically a highly versatile and rugged assault rifle suitable for use in nearly all theatres and environments...

 H&K MP-5A3 INSAS Standard Assault Rifle of Oman Army Browning

Browning Arms Company

Browning Arms Company is a maker of firearms, bows and fishing gear. Founded in Utah in 1927, it offers a wide variety of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and rimfire firearms and sport bows, as well as fishing rods and reels....

 HP-35 MK-2 SIG Sauer P.226 S&W 0.38 H&K MP-7A-1 Sterling

Sterling Armaments Company

Sterling Armaments Company was an arms manufacturer based in Dagenham, famous for manufacturing the L2A3 , AR18 and SAR-87 assault rifles and parts of Jaguar cars. The company went bankrupt in 1988....

 MK-IV (L2A3) FN MAG

FN MAG

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

 Browning

Browning Arms Company

Browning Arms Company is a maker of firearms, bows and fishing gear. Founded in Utah in 1927, it offers a wide variety of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and rimfire firearms and sport bows, as well as fishing rods and reels....

 M-2HB Colt

Colt's Manufacturing Company

Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...

 M-203 M16A2

M16 rifle

The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...

M16A4M16A1 Service rifle

Service rifle

The service rifle of a given army or armed force is that which it issues as standard to its soldiers. In modern forces, this is typically a highly versatile and rugged assault rifle suitable for use in nearly all theatres and environments...

 M4

M4 carbine

The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...

 PCMVMF Carbon

Carbon

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...

-15 SG540 AW

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International...

\ FN FAL

FN FAL

The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...

 50-00\L1A1 H&K G-3

Heckler & Koch G3

The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....

 M82 Barret L110A1

FN Minimi

The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...

 SAW

Squad automatic weapon

A squad automatic weapon is a weapon used to give infantry squads or sections a portable source of automatic firepower. Weapons used in this role are selective-fire rifles, usually fitted with a bipod and heavier barrel to perform as Light machine guns...

 Machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

 Colt

Colt's Manufacturing Company

Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...

 M79

M79 grenade launcher

The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...

Out of Service equipment

• 15x Daimler
  Daimler Motor Company
  The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
  
   Ferret Armoured Car
  Ferret armoured car
  The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
  
    FV-702 4x4 scout car
• 10x Alvis
  Alvis Cars
  Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company that existed in Coventry, England from 19191967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles, the...
  
   Saracen
  Alvis Saracen
  The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier built by Alvis and used by the British army. It became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the policing of Northern Ireland.-History:...
  
   FV-603 6x6 APC
• 24x QF-25 87.6mm towed howitzer
  Ordnance QF 25 pounder
  The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
  
  
• 4x 5.5 Inch MK-3\140mm Toewd-gun