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{{Infobox Military Unit |
{{Infobox Military Unit |
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|unit_name= Royal Air Force of Oman |
|unit_name= Royal Air Force of Oman |
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|image=[[Image: |
|image=[[Image:IMGOmanFlagRoundel.svg|150px]][[Image:Roundel of the Royal Air Force of Oman.svg|150px]] |
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|caption= |
|caption= |
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|start_date= March 1959-present |
|start_date= March 1959-present |
Revision as of 21:00, 8 January 2011
Royal Air Force of Oman | |
---|---|
File:IMGOmanFlagRoundel.svg | |
Founded | March 1959-present |
Country | Oman |
Commanders | |
Commander of the RAFO | Air Vice-Marshal Yahya Rasheed Al-Juma |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon,SEPECAT Jaguar S/B |
Trainer | BAe Hawk 103,Pilatus PC-9M,PAC Super MFI-17 Mushshak |
Transport | Airbus A320CJ,Lockheed C-130 Hercules,Dornier Do 228-100 |
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
History
The Sultan of Oman's Air Force (SOAF) was formed with British personnel and aircraft in March 1959. The first aircraft were two Scottish Aviation Pioneers transferred from the Royal Air Force. The first armed aircraft was the Percival Provost T52.
In 1968 the SOAF received the first of 24 BAC Strikemaster jet trainer and light strike aircraft for operation against insurgents in the Dhofar region. In 1974 the SOAF was expanded with orders for the Britten Norman Defender, BAC One-Eleven, BAC VC-10 and 32 Hawker Hunter ground attack aircraft. In 1977 Jaguar International 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 2005 deliveries started of the F-16, the aircraft are equipped with improved GPS/INS. The aircraft can carry a further batch of advanced missiles; the AGM-88 HARM 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 or JAS 39 Gripen aircraft.[1] In 3rd of 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 contract worth of 3.5 Billion USD. The contract in addition to the new fighters included upgrading existing 12 F-16 C/D in RAFO inventory.[2]
Equipment
Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service[3] ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | Agusta-Bell AB205A-1 | Italy |search and rescue helicopter | AB205A-1 | 21 | to be retired and replaced with NH90 and Lynx Mk 120 |----- | Agusta-Bell AB212 Twin Huey | Italy | helicopter | AB212 | 3 | |----- | AgustaWestland AW139 | Italy | helicopter | AW139 | 4 | 4 delivered of total ten. All for Royal Oman Police aviation wing. |----- | Airbus A320CJ | France | transport | A320CJ | 2 | |-----
| Dornier Do 228-100
| Germany
| light transport
| Do 228-100
|
|
|-----
| Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec
| France
| helicopter
| AS 550
| 3
|for Omani Royal Flight
|-----
| Eurocopter EC 225 Super Puma
| France
| helicopter
| EC 225
| 4
|for Omani Royal Flight
|-----
| BAe Hawk 103
| United Kingdom
| trainer
| Hawk 103
| 4
|
|-----
| BAe Hawk 203
| United Kingdom
| fighter
| Hawk 203
| 11
|
|-----
| Bell 206B JetRanger
| United States
| helicopter
| Bell 206
| 3
|
|-----
| Bell HH-1H Iroquois
| United States
| helicopter
| HH-1H
| 20
|
|-----
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules
| United States
| tactical transport
| C-130H
C-130J-30
| 3
0
|one C-130J-30 to be delivered in mid-2012.[4] 2 more ordered in August 2010. [5]
|-----
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
| United States
| fighter
| F-16C
F-16D
| 12
|possible purchase of 18 additional F-16 Block 50/52[6]
|-----
| NHI NH90
| France
| helicopter
|
| 20
|
|-----
| PAC Super MFI-17 Mushshak
| Pakistan
| trainer
|
| 7
|
|-----
| Pilatus PC-9M
| Switzerland
| trainer
| PC-9M
| 12
|
|-----
| SEPECAT Jaguar S/B
| United Kingdom
| ground attack
| Jaguar S
Jaguar B
| 2
16
|May be replaced by new F-16 block 50/52 or by the Eurofighter Typhoon[7][8][9]
|-----
| Super Falke
| Germany
| trainer
|
| 2
|
|-----
| Short SC.7 Skyvan 3M
| United Kingdom
| light Transport
| Skyvan 3M
| 12
|
|-
| Westland Lynx Mk 120
| United Kingdom
| helicopter
| Lynx Mk 120
| 15
|
|----
|Total
|
|
|
| 224+
|----
|}
References
- ^ http://tacticalreport.com/view_news/Royal_Air_Force_of_Oman_JAS_39_Gripen_and_Eurofighter_Typhoon/1229
- ^ http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Oman_10-40.pdf
- ^ Omani military aviation OrBat
- ^ "Sultanate of Oman |Acquires C-130J Super Hercules". Reuters, 5 June 2009
- ^ "The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks". Retrieved 2010-08-21.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Oman shows interest in Eurofighter Typhoon
- ^ Oman 'wants to buy' Eurofighter planes from the UK BBC, 2 April 2010
- ^ Oman edges closer to Typhoon deal, says UK Flightglobal, 9 April 2010