Royal Army of Oman

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The Royal Army of Oman protects the sovereignty of Oman. In terms of materiél, the Army is small but well equipped to the extent that external aggression is now realistically deterred. 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 (predominantly M60A3) MBTs rounding out Oman's sole armoured battalion. 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.