Sultan of Oman ' s Armed Forces The Sultan of Oman ' s Armed Forces ( SOAF — Arabic : القوات المسلحة لسلطان عمان , transliterated : " al - Quwāt ul - Musalḥatu as - Sulṭān ‘ Umān ) are the Royal Army of Oman ( Arabic : الجيش العماني , transliterated : " al - Jaīsh al - ‘ Umānī ) , Royal Navy of Oman , Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Sultanate of Oman . Since their formal establishment in the early 1950s , with British assistance they have twice overcome insurgencies which have threatened the integrity or social structure of the state , and more recently have contributed contingents or facilities to coalitions formed to protect the Persian Gulf states . History . Oman has a military history which dates back to the 7th century . At the time , the forces of the Azd tribe were powerful enough to help the prophet Mohammed ' s companion Abu Bakr the War of al Mortadeen . It is said that even before that , the Azd tribe , led by Malek bin Faham , were able to defeat a Persian force which controlled Oman at that time . The second known Omani army force was raised during the Yarubid dynasty , who forced the Portuguese out of the country in 1650 . During the rule of the Yarubi dynasty , fortified buildings covered the country from the north of Musandam to the south of Dhofar , making Oman a great power in the Persian Gulf . During the later al Busaidi dynasty , ( mainly during the time of Said bin Sultan ) , Oman was a substantial empire with a very powerful military force , making Oman one of the greatest forces in the Indian Ocean , second only to the United Kingdom . After Said bin Sultan ' s death , political conflicts in Oman forced Oman to close in upon itself , and to transform from a powerful empire to a relatively poor country . Buraimi crisis . Prior to 1954 , when Said bin Taimur became ruler of Muscat and Oman , the defence of the region was guaranteed by treaties with Britain . The only armed forces in Muscat and Oman were tribal levies and a palace guard recruited from Baluchistan in Pakistan ( due to a historical quirk by which the Sultan also owned the port of Gwadur ) . Prior to that year , there had been a dispute with Saudi Arabia over the ownership of the Buraimi Oasis , which was important for oil exploration rights . For many centuries , the interior of Oman had been an autonomous region , the Imamate of Oman . The Imam of Oman was its religious and secular leader . In 1954 , the Imam was Ghalib bin Ali . He had been prepared to muster Omani tribesmen to expel the Saudis from Buraimi , but at British instigation , the matter was settled by arbitration . To prevent the Imam interfering with the settlement over Buraimi , a battalion - sized task force , the " Muscat and Oman Field Force " was raised , and occupied the town of Ibri . The Sultan ' s prestige and authority was damaged by his disdain for his own people . At this point , the SAF consisted of : Some British officers were attached to each unit . Jebel Akhdar campaigns . With the " Field Force " occupying part of his territory , Ghalib tried to declare the Imamate of Oman independent , but in December 1955 the " Field Force " captured Ghalib at the town of Rostaq . He was released on recognisances . Rebellion in 1957 . Talib bin Ali , the Imam ' s brother , had fled to Saudi Arabia . He returned from there in 1957 with 300 well - equipped fighters , and the insurrection broke out again . Talib ' s forces occupied a fortified tower near Bilad Sait , which the " Field Force " lacked the heavy weapons to destroy . After some weeks ' inconclusive fighting , Suleiman bin Himyar , the Sheikh of one of the major tribes in the interior , openly proclaimed his defiance of the Sultan , and began a general uprising . The " Muscat and Oman Field Force " was largely destroyed as it tried to retreat through hostile towns and villages . The rebellion was suppressed by the " Muscat Regiment " and the Trucial Oman Levies from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates . The decisive factor however , was the intervention of infantry ( two companies of the Cameronians ) and armoured car detachments from the British Army and aircraft of the RAF . Talib ' s forces retreated to the inaccessible Jebel Akhdar . The SAF ' s attacks up the few paths up the Jebel were easily repelled . Stalemate 1957 - 1959 . The Sultan ' s army was reorganised under a British soldier , Colonel David Smiley . The " Batinah Force " was renamed the " Northern Frontier Regiment " and the remnants of the " Muscat and Oman Field Force " merged into the new " Oman Regiment " . Within each unit and sub - unit , Baluchi and Arab soldiers were mixed . This prevented units defecting to or openly sympathising with the rebels , but led to tensions within units , and orders were frequently not followed because of language problems . Many of the notionally Omani soldiers were recruited from the province of Dhofar , and looked down upon by other Arabs . The Army was still unable to deal with Talib ' s stronghold . The few paths up the Jebel Akhdar were far too narrow to deploy attacking battalions or even companies . One attempt was made against the southern face of the Jebel , using four infantry companies ( including two companies from the Trucial Oman Scouts , from what would later become the United Arab Emirates . The attackers withdrew hastily after concluding they were vulnerable to being ambushed and cut off . In another attempt , infantry launched a feint and then withdrew while Avro Shackleton bombers of the RAF bombarded the supposedly massed defenders . They inflicted no casualties . For two years , rebel infiltrators continually mined the roads around the Jebel , and ambushed SAF and British detachments and oil company vehicles . The SAF were spread in small detachments in the towns and villages at the foot of the Jebel , and thus vulnerable and on the defensive . Their arms ( mainly British weapons of World War II vintage ) were less effective than the up - to - date equipment used by Talib ' s fighters . A SAF artillery unit with two 5 . 5 inch medium guns harassed the settlements on the plateau on top of the Jebel Akhdar , to little effect . It was estimated by some British officers that a full - scale attack by a British brigade would be required to recapture the jebel . Smiley and others felt that a smaller operation by Special Forces with air support would suffice . Eventually in 1959 , two squadrons from the British Special Air Service Regiment were deployed , under Anthony Deane - Drummond . After making feint operations against outlying positions on the north side of the Jebel , they scaled the southern face of the Jebel at night , taking the rebels by surprise . Supplies were parachuted to them once they reached the plateau ; this may have misled some of the rebels into thinking that this was an assault by paratroops . There was little further fighting . Talib and his fighters either melted back into the local population or fled to Saudi Arabia . Later operations in Oman . Some insurgents continued to cross into Oman from Saudi Arabia or via the UAE , and laid landmines which continued to cause casualties to SAF units and civilian vehicles . The SAF lacked the numbers to prevent this infiltration . A paramilitary force , the " Oman Gendarmerie " was formed in 1960 to assist the SAF in this task , and also to take over normal policing duties . The landmine campaign eventually dwindled away . The only apparent threat to Oman at this point appeared to be a shadowy Marxist group who attempted to assassinate the Sultan ' s Interior Minister , and may also have planted bombs on civil aircraft , including a Vickers Viscount of United Arab Airlines which broke up in mid - air north of Elba on 29 September 1960 , killing all 23 people on board . Dhofar campaign . In 1964 , a rebellion began in the southern province of Dhofar , again supported by Saudi Arabia . The initial aims of the rebellion were greater autonomy for the region , and an improvement in its living standards . The Sultan ' s forces in Dhofar consisted only of an irregular " Dhofar Force " , recruited from local " jibali " tribes . Only in 1965 were two battalions of the SAF sent to the province . Most units of the Omani Army at this time were understrength , and badly equipped and trained . The air force consisted of a few piston - engined transport and ground - attack aircraft . The navy possessed a single dhow . The " Dhofar Force " was disbanded in 1966 , after some of its members tried to assassinate the Sultan . The " Desert Regiment " was raised to replace it . The " Southern Regiment " was also formed and all Baluchi soldiers were eventually concentrated in the two battalions of this regiment , although the change took several years to implement fully . The rebellion continued at a low level until 1967 . In that year , the establishment of the People ' s Democratic Republic of Yemen ( PDRY ) adjacent to Dhofar , gave the rebels access to sources of arms , supplies and recruits , and also radicalised the rebel movement . As the PFLOAG , this sought the overthrow of the Sultanate and other pro - Western regimes in the Persian Gulf . By 1969 , the " Adoo " , as the rebels were known , had overrun much of Dhofar , and there were attacks on SAF positions elsewhere in Oman . It was clear to the Sultan ' s British backers and advisors that the situation was critical . Said bin Taimur ' s rule had been reactionary and despotic . Almost all progress since the Middle Ages had been outlawed in Oman . In 1970 , the Sultan was overthrown in a palace coup , almost certainly with British connivance . His son , Qaboos bin Said , replaced him . Reform and modernisation . Qaboos had attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served as an officer in the British Army with the 1st Bn the Cameronians ( Scottish Rifles ) . His outlook was far wider and more liberal than his father ' s . He immediately instituted major social and military reforms throughout the country . As part of a " hearts and minds " campaign to win over the population of Dhofar , an amnesty was declared for surrendered rebels . Former rebels formed " Firqat " irregular units , trained and assisted by teams from the Special Air Service . The " Firqats " eventually numbered 1800 , and deprived the rebels of local support in their home areas . Meanwhile the regular units of the Army were expanded and re - equipped . More Omanis were recruited and Baluchis were concentrated in separated units . Large numbers of officers and NCO instructors seconded from the British Army and Royal Marines were attached to units . ( There were also several British and Commonwealth mercenaries ) . Two new infantry units were raised in 1971 : the " Frontier Force " ( a Baluchi unit ) in Dhofar , and the " Jebel Regiment " in the interior of Oman . The various supporting arms , which had previously existed as ad hoc units and detachments were also formally established . The new corps were the " Artillery Regiment " , " Signal Regiment " , " Armoured Car Squadron " , " Engineering Unit " , " Garrison Detachment " and the " Training Regiment " . The " Oman Gendarmerie " was also strengthened and modernised . The Air Force acquired BAC Strikemaster and Hawker Hunter attack aircraft , Shorts Skyvan and Caribou transport aircraft , and UH - 1 Iroquois helicopters , flown by seconded RAF or contract ( i . e . mercenary ) pilots . Two Pilatus Porter air ambulances used extensively during the Dhofar conflict were retained in the Air Force until the late 1970s . Later operations in Dhofar . The army established lines of defensive posts to block rebel movements and supply trains , assisted by troops supplied by the Shah of Iran . The process took time , but by 1972 the rebels were being starved of support . To retrieve the situation , they launched a major attack on the coastal town of Mirbat , but were defeated by " Firqats " , Gendarmerie and SAS detachments , with air support . In 1973 , an SAF offensive intended to capture the main rebel supply base at Shershitti Caves was defeated , although an exposed position at Sarfait near the border with the PDRY was captured . This position , codenamed " Simba " , was held for two years . Meanwhile , the " Adoo " were slowly driven to the edge of their former territory . Another offensive in 1975 finally isolated the rebels from the PDRY . The rebellion was declared to be over in 1976 . At the end of this period , the Army numbered 13 , 000 . It was organised into a Southern Brigade ( under Brigadier John Akehurst , responsible for operations in Dhofar ) , and a Northern Brigade which garrisoned the rest of the country . The Army ' s Commander - in - Chief during most of the Dhofar rebellion was Major General Timothy Creasey , who was replaced near the end of the conflict by Major General Ken Perkins . Gulf Wars . In the years following the end of the Dhofar rebellion , the SAF continued to expand and modernise . Links with Britain remained close . One facility enjoyed by Britain was the use of the airbase on Masirah Island off the southern coast , as a staging post . The United States was granted the same facilities , which was to become important as tension increased in the Persian Gulf . In the mid - 1980s the Sultan of Oman ' s Air Force ( SOAF ) operated Hawker Hunter F6 , SEPECAT Jaguar and C - 130 Hercules aircraft from an in - country air base at Thumrait . In 1987 there was a border conflict with the PDYR which saw the whole of the SAF mobilised . Skirmishes by Dushka 12 . 5mm heavy machine gun armed Toyota pickup trucks into Oman killed several Omani troops who were lightly armed . The PDYR sent a Motorised Infantry force to re - enforce the border but this was destroyed by SOAF Jaguars . Peace talks quickly followed . As part of the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) , Oman assigned an infantry battalion to the force known as Peninsula Shield during the Iran – Iraq War . In 1990 , the Iraqi Army unexpectedly invaded Kuwait , also a member of the GCC . A large international coalition formed , first to discourage further Iraqi aggression . The aims of the coalition changed to the restoration of Kuwaiti sovereignty , as more forces were deployed to Saudi Arabia . Oman ' s role in First Gulf War was mainly as a base area and staging post for the large United States Air Force and British Royal Air Force contingents deployed to the Persian Gulf . Some transport aircraft and tanker aircraft flew out of Masirah , but the Sultan of Oman ' s Air Force did not directly participate in attacks on Iraq . An Omani battalion served in Saudi Arabia , as part of the GCC contribution to the ground war to liberate Kuwait . It formed part of the Saudi Arabian - led Task Force Omar along with the Saudi 10th Mechanised Brigade . It advanced into Kuwait on the second day of the ground offensive and had no casualties . In 2001 , Oman hosted a large contingent of the British Army , which held Exercise Saif Sareea II ( in which 12500 members of the SAF also participated ) . The stated aims of the exercise were to practise rapid deployment and test equipment in severe conditions . It has been suggested that it was in fact a stage rehearsal for Britain ' s involvement in subsequent operations in the U . S . invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 Invasion of Iraq . Present Day . Since the defeat of the Dhofar insurgents , the likelihood of internal strife caused by poverty or tribal dissension has steadily decreased as a result of the increasing standards of living , and the provision of public health and education . Tension on Oman ' s western border has lessened since the establishment in 1990 of the Republic of Yemen . Oman includes the tip of the Mussandam Peninsula in the Persian Gulf , which may be significant in future conflicts in the region . The army has steadily decreased its dependence on British and other foreign assistance , and increased its degree of mechanisation , although emphasis on light infantry operations remains ; as part of their training , soldiers repeat the SAS ascent of the Jebel Akhdar in 1959 . The Navy is one of the most modern in the region , and the Air Force is respected . In any future major regional conflict , Oman can almost certainly rely on support and aid from Britain and the United States . 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 ( 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 ) . The primary weapon of the Omani army is the Indian INSAS rifle made by Ordnance Factories Board at its Ishapore factory .