Royal Navy of Oman

Royal Navy of Oman

Naval Ensign of Oman
Country  Oman
Type Navy
Size 4,200 personnel
Garrison/HQ As Sib
Colors Blue and Yellow

The Royal Navy of Oman (Arabic: البحرية السلطانية العمانية), abbreviated RNO, is the maritime component of the Royal Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman. Given its long coastline and strategic location along the Indian Ocean, as well as being close to the Strait of Hormuz, the Royal Navy is one of the priorities of the government of Oman. It has a fleet of gunboats, fast missile boats and support, training, cargo and hydro-graphical survey vessels, which can be deployed to defend the territorial waters and coastline of Oman as well as protect tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Royal Navy's headquarters are in As Sib, several miles west of Muscat, the capital. A modernization program is ongoing, with the objective of creating a first rate fleet. [1]

History

In 1992, the Royal Oman Navy had a strength of 3,000 personnel. The main naval base, near As Sib, was the Said ibn Sultan Naval Base, located in Wudham Alwa (near As Sib). One of the largest engineering projects in Oman, it serves as a homeport for the fleet and includes training facilities as well as repair bays. The Oman Naval Training Center, located at the base, provided instruction for officers and enlisted personnel, as well as specific branch training. Originally, most of the officers were British, with non-commissioned officers being mostly Pakistani. However, by 1980, most of the officers were Omani, though British and Pakistani technicians remained.

The Royal Oman Navy does not have a marine corps or any naval infantry formations, though has multiple amphibious ships. A modernization program is ongoing in order to protect the coastline as well as the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The British Royal Navy, in 2011, helped train corvette crews in the Flag Officer Sea Training. [2]

Ships

Hull
Number		 Name Class Builder Type Displacement Laid down Launched Commission Decommission Notes
Surface Combatants
Q40 Al Shamikh Khareef Class BAE Systems Corvette 2,660 tons 22 July 2009 October 2013 8 MM-40 anti ship missiles, 12 VL Mica anti aircraft missiles
Q41 Al Rahmani Khareef Class BAE Systems Corvette 2,660 tons 23 July 2010 March 2014 8 MM-40 anti ship missiles, 12 VL Mica anti aircraft missiles
Q42 Al Rasikh Khareef Class BAE Systems Corvette 2,660 tons 27 June 2011 May 2014 8 MM-40 anti ship missiles, 12 VL Mica anti aircraft missiles
Q31 Qahir Al Amwaj Qahir class Vosper Thornycroft Corvette 1185 tons 21 September 1994 3 September 1996 8 MM-40 anti ship missiles, 1x8 Crotale anti aircraft missiles
Q32 Al Mua'zzar Qahir class Vosper Thornycroft Corvette 1185 tons 26 September 1995 26 November 1996 8 MM-40 anti ship missiles, 1x8 Crotale anti aircraft missiles
Patrol vessels
Q30 Al Mubrukah Brooke Marine Patrol Ship 785 tons 7 April 1970 1971 Former royal yacht converted to training ship; serving as a patrol ship since 1997.
B10 Dhofar Province Class Vosper Thornycroft Fast Attack Craft 390 tons 1982 6-8 MM-40 anti ship missiles
B11 Al Sharquiyah Province Class Vosper Thornycroft Fast Attack Craft 390 tons 1983 6-8 MM-40 anti ship missiles
B12 Al Bat'nah Province Class Vosper Thornycroft Fast Attack Craft 390 tons 1984 6-8 MM-40 anti ship missiles
B14 Mussandam Province Class Vosper Thornycroft Fast Attack Craft 390 tons 1989 6-8 MM-40 anti ship missiles
Z1 Al Bushra Al Bushra class France patrol craft 450 tons 1995
Z2 Al Mansoor Al Bushra class France patrol craft 450 tons 1995
Z3 Al Najah Al Bushra class France patrol craft 450 tons 1996
Amphibious vessels
L3 Fulk al Salamah Bremer Vulkan Amphibious Transport 10,864 tons 1987 270 troops. Multirole amphibious transport and general logistics ship. Now assigned to Royal Yacht Squadron.
L2 Nasr al Bahr UK 2,500 tons full load 1965 LST (with hel deck capacity 7 tanks; 240 troops.
A2 Al Sultana Netherlands 1975
Auxiliaries

Missiles

Electronics

Future

Procurement

New Corvettes

Al-Rahmani, Portsmouth, UK, 2013.
Al-Rahmani, Portsmouth, UK, 2013.
Al-Rahmani, Portsmouth, UK, 2013.

The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) has contracted BAE Systems Surface Ships, in the United Kingdom to construct three Offshore patrol vessels. The OPVs are to be known as the Khareef Class Corvettes and are under trials for delivery in 2012.

They will feature a 12-cell VL Mica launcher, MM40 Exocet Block 3 SSMs, an Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid gun, 2 MSI DS 30M 30 mm guns and MASS decoy system.[3] The first vessel - Al-Shamikh - underwent sea trials in 2010.[4]

New Research Vessel

The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) has contracted with the US Pentagon through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program to provide a new research vessel based on the RV F.G. Walton Smith, a University of Miami vessel.

Thoma-Sea Shipbuilders of Lockport, Louisiana reportedly won a $7.3m contract to build a Catamaran Hull Hydrographic Survey Vessel for the government of Oman, according to a report. This vessel will be built by Thoma-Sea. Thoma-Sea’s partner in this proposal is Technology Associates Inc. (TAI) of New Orleans in Louisiana. TAI prepared the proposal for Thoma-Sea and will be in charge of performing the Design, Program Management and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) functions for Thoma-Sea. The Sultanate of Oman will receive this 90-foot vessel, which is designed to conduct hydrographic and environmental surveys of harbors and bays, and will work in Oman’s territorial waters, according to the release.[5]

Oman has also issued RFI for a new ‘hydrographic survey vessel’. US Naval Sea Systems Command is promoting ship design based on the Walton Smith Catamaran design.

Al-Ofouq Class Patrol Vessels

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that its marine arm, Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd (ST Marine) had secured a contract worth €534.8m (about S$880m) to design and build four patrol vessels (PVs) and the provision of associated logistic support for the Royal Navy of Oman. This contract was awarded by the Ministry of Defence of the Sultanate of Oman through a competitive international tender. ST Marine will build four 75-metre PVs based on its proprietary Fearless class patrol vessel. The project will commence immediately with the first vessel expected to be delivered in 2Q 2015 and the final vessel in 3Q 2016.[6]

High Speed Support Vessels (HSSVs)

Austal will construct the HSSVs at its shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia. Construction of the first vessel is expected to commence in CY2014, with the second vessel expected to be delivered in CY2016. The HSSVs will be deployed with a similar mission to the Joint High Speed Vessels currently being constructed by Austal for the US Navy at the Company’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The value of the contract is approximately US$124.9 million.[7]

Former ships

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ John Pike. "Royal Oman Navy (RON)". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. ↑ John Pike. "Royal Oman Navy (RON)". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Scott, Richard (2007-01-24). "VT clinches Khareef OPV deal with Oman". Janes Defence Weekly (Jane's Information Group). Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  4. ↑ "Oman Corvette Heads To Sea For The First Time". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Thoma-Sea Wins Navy Deal". Marine Link. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Patrol Boats – Singapore Shipyard Wins Middle". Marine Link. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Administrator. "Austal contract for two 72m High Speed Support Vessels is for the Royal Navy of Oman". Retrieved 24 December 2014.