Royal Army of Oman

The Royal Army of Oman (Arabic: الجيش السلطاني العماني), also called the Royal Oman Land Forces, is the ground branch of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces that protects the sovereignty of Oman. In terms of materiel, the Army is small but well equipped to the extent that external aggression is now realistically deterred. The Royal Army is the oldest and largest branch, with 20,000 personnel. The Royal Army was originally established for defeating an insurgency in the south of the country.

History
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Royal Oman Army was composed of fifty or sixty men who protected the Sultan of Oman, and evolved into a full-fledged army by 1975. It played a major role in a counterinsurgency operation in southern Oman in the 1970s, at the time under the command of a British officer, along with the Royal Oman Navy and Royal Oman Air Force. The campaign saw a reformation and expansion of the Royal Army, as well as the creation of a special forces unit, the Royal Guard of Oman. It was used for ceremonial purposes, as well as the defense of the Sultan. As of the 1990s, most of the officers were ethnic Omanis, however, there were still a British presence in the Royal Army. France and the United States also gave tanks to the Royal Army. Two officer schools were formed in Muscat, the capitol.

Field organization

 * One divisional HQ
 * Two brigade HQ (Northern Brigade, Southern Brigade) with a 3rd in the process of being established for Border Security
 * 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
Has one regiment of British-built Challenger 2 main battle tanks and the other slightly larger regiment of M60 (predominantly M60A3) 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, 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 and elite British Special Air Service (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 assures the Royal Army of Oman of a quiet immediate future.

In May 2013, the US announced an Oman Air-Defense Deal worth $2.1 billion to supply a US-made air-defense system.

Armoured Vehicles
Recently ordered: 6-12 B1 Centauros with 120 mm gun (Hitfact).
 * Challenger 2 main battle tank (38)
 * Challenger Armoured recovery vehicle (40)
 * Chieftain tank-MK-5 (27)-status unknown
 * M60A1 (60)
 * M60A3 (93)
 * M88A-1 Recovery (11)
 * M728 Recovery (31)
 * Mowag Piranha 8x8 LAV's (175)
 * Panhard VBL (132) including 8 with BGM-71 TOW ATGM Missile launcher.
 * Panhard VAB 4x4 &6x6 including 6 with 2RM 120mm heavy mortar\ 6 VAB-VCI and 8 VAB-VTT (56)
 * Fahd APC (31-100)
 * WZ-551B (50)
 * HMMWV Hummer
 * Commando MK-III 4x4 (100)
 * FV101 Scorpion (97)
 * FV103 Spartan (34)
 * FV105 Sultan (31)
 * FV106 Samson (30)
 * Alvis Stormer (10)
 * Alvis Saladin (38)-status unknown
 * Saxon (22)
 * Cadillac Gage Commando (20)
 * 🇷🇺 BTR-80-?
 * VBC-90 (19)

Trucks

 * MAN TAG heavy trucks
 * ACMAT VLA 6x6
 * ACMAT VLRA 4x4
 * Landrover 4x4

Artillery

 * Type-90A 122mm MRLs (12)
 * G6 howitzers (24)
 * M-109A2 (15)-status unknown
 * L118 Light Gun (39)
 * Type 59-1 (12)
 * M46 130mm Gun (15)
 * FH-70 (12)
 * 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) (30)
 * L16 81mm Mortar
 * M-102 105mm Howitzer (36)
 * Brandt 120mm mortar (12)
 * 2R2M 120mm SP\on VAB mortar (14)
 * M-30 107mm mortar-SP\on M-106A-2 APCs (12)
 * 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 ATGMs 32-50 launchers
 * LAW MK-80 Light ATRLs
 * RPG-7V Light ATRLs

SAM

 * Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon GDF-007 (10)
 * Skyguard-AD system (Aspide SAMs+Oerlikon GDF-002 35mm twin AAGs)
 * Bofors 40mm gun
 * VDAA 2x20mm SP-AAGs (9)
 * ZU-23 2x23mm AAGs (4-5)
 * M-167A2 VADS 20mm AAG
 * SHORAR radar system (2)
 * Blindfire radar systems for Rapier missiles (18)
 * Skyguard-radar systems for Skyguard A\D systems (5)
 * Cymbeline artillery location radar (3)
 * Tigercat SAMs
 * Crotale anti-aircraft missile
 * Avenger SP-air defense system-on order (18)
 * Rapier MK-2\Jernas SAMs (40) launchers\600 Rapier-1+ 800 Rapier-2 missiles.
 * Mistral anti-aircraft missile (54) launchers\230 missiles.
 * Blowpipe MANPADs-200 missiles.
 * Javelin MANPADs (30) launchers\280 missiles.
 * SA-7 Grail MANPADs (34)
 * THAAD anti-missile system

Small arms

 * Steyr AUG Service rifle
 * H&K MP-5A3
 * INSAS Standard Assault Rifle of Oman Army
 * Browning HP-35 MK-2
 * SIG Sauer P.226
 * S&W 0.38
 * H&K MP-7A-1
 * Sterling MK-IV (L2A3)
 * FN MAG
 * Browning M-2HB
 * Colt M-203
 * M16A2M16A4M16A1 Service rifle
 * M4
 * PCMVMF
 * Carbon-15
 * SG540
 * AW
 * FN FAL 50-00\L1A1
 * H&K G-3
 * M82 Barret
 * L110A1 SAW Machine gun
 * Colt M79

Out of Service equipment

 * 15x Daimler Ferret Armoured Car FV-702 4x4 scout car
 * 10x Alvis Saracen FV-603 6x6 APC
 * 24x QF-25 87.6mm towed howitzer
 * 4x 5.5 Inch MK-3\140mm Towed-gun