Defence and Security Policy
The Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 marked the change of the security environment that Oman had to deal with. The Islamic revolution made the Sultanate of Oman to assert that the U.S was the security guarantor of the region. On April 21, 1980, the Sultanate of Oman signed a facilities access agreement that allows U.S forces to access to Oman military facilities.
Several days later the U.S forces used the air base in Masirah island to launch the failed attempt to rescue the U.S Embassy hostages in Iran. The Agreement was revised and renewed in 2010, and the U.S forces managed to have access to Oman’s military airfields in Muscat, Thumrait, Masirah island, and Musnanah. The U.S forces used these facilities for the initial combat operations in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF) and to lesser extent in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF).
Oman does not host a U.S. military base or buy huge amounts of American weapons like some other GCC states, but it is a valuable regional player with an outsized impact. The Sultanate of Oman did not contribute forces either to the operation in Afghanistan or Iraq and after 2004 the Omani military facilities were not used for U.S air operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On March 24, 2019, Oman and U.S signed a “Strategic Framework Agreement” that expands the U.S-Oman facilities access agreement by allowing U.S forces to use the ports of Al-Duqm and Salalah which will reduce the need to send ships though the Strait of Hormuz and provide a better access to the Gulf region for the U.S military.
The port of Al-Duqm is also used by the Royal Navy based on the agreement signed by the two sides in August 2017. The new logistical support facility was called UK Joint Logistic Support Base (UKJLSB). The location was chosen by the UK due to its strategic position which is east of the Suez Canal and outside the Gulf.
The port has enough depth and space in order to accommodate both the U.S and the U.K aircraft carriers. Furthermore, in February 2018 India announced that it had secured access to the facilities at Duqm for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
Although Oman is the oldest independent Arab country Muscat had to encounter at least in three occasions serious problems with its neighbors.
The first one was the border despite with the UAE that was solved successfully in 2002, the second had to do with the military presence of Saudi Arabia and UAE in the Al Mahrah governorate in Yemen in 2017, an area next to the Omani region of Dhofar at its southern borders.
From 2015 to late 2017, Al Mahrah was under the control of the Yemeni 123rd and 137th Mechanized Brigades. The on-going civil war in Yemen and the danger of the deployment of ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) forces in the region made Saudi Arabia to increase its military presence in the governorate.
From mid-November 2017 onwards, Saudi Arabian forces took control of facilities, such as the Nishtun port, the Sarfit, and Shehen border crossings, and al-Gaydah Airport while established military outposts around key infrastructure and coastal areas.
Muscat did not want to feel under pressure in Dhofar and became so concerned about the situation in Al Mahrah that began sending financial and humanitarian support to its partners in Al Mahrah and build ties with the tribes and the residents over the border.
Furthermore, Muscat sought to prevent spillover of the Yemen civil war into Oman by increasing patrols along the borders with Yemen.
Defence Budget, Defence Procurements and Defence Procurements Policy
The new leader of the Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said issued at the end of January 2021 three Royal Decrees that aimed to improve the Defence and Security mechanisms of his country. Under the Royal Decree No.12 of 2021 the new leader of Oman proceeded to the restructuring of the Councils of Defence and National Security.
The Defence Council is an extra-parliamentary body tasked with coordinating the actions of the Sultanate’s various security and armed forces to safeguard the security of the country and defend it against any external threat. The Council under the new Royal Decree will be chaired by Sultan Haitham who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Oman.
The council’s members include the Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs the Minister of the Royal Office and the Head of the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the Head of the Communication and Coordination at the Royal Office. The members also include the head of the Internal Security Service, the Inspector General of Police and Customs and the Chief of Staff of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces. The Leader of the Sultanate of Oman also issued the Royal Decree No.13 of 2021 according to the National Security Council will be restructured and its members will include the members of the Defence Council.
The National Security Council is tasked with handling all issues related to the country’s national security. The council convenes under the chairmanship of Sultan Haitham in conditions set by him otherwise in convenes under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Royal Office and the Head of the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
The Governments of Oman have always been spending a lot of money for the defence of the country. According to the World Bank the Defence Budget of Oman in 2020 reached USD6.73 Billion (in current US$) representing 9% of the GDP, increased marginally by USD179 Million compared to 2019 when it reached USD6.551 Billion representing 7.43% of the GDP. The Defence Budget of Oman marked a rapid increase between 2010 and 2012 reaching at its highest point of USD9.25 Billion in 2012.
Since 2013, although the Defence Budget of the country has been high in proportion to the size of the economy of Oman, it was eventually reduced. In total between 2013 and 2020 the Defence Budget of Oman was reduced by USD2.5 Billion. This reduction seems to be related to the fluctuation of the GDP of the country which was USD87.4 Billion (in current US$) in 2012 and was reduced to USD75.13 Billion (in current US$) in 2016 reduced to USD91.5 Billion (in current US$) in 2018 and finally reduced to USD73.79 Billion (in current US$) in 2020 due to the Pandemic.
Oman has been a traditional customer of western defence systems mostly from the U.S.A and the U.K. Since the beginning of the new century Oman has proceeded to numerous defence procurements of capital weapon systems such as fighter jets, transport aircraft, military vessels, air defence systems, transport helicopters and armoured combat vehicles.
More specifically, Oman bought between 20001 and 2004 in total 174 amphibious light armored vehicles and more than 80 armored VBL vehicles from France.
Between 2002-2006 Royal Omani Air Force (RAFO) bought from the U.S.A in total 8+4 F-16C/D Block50 fighter jets, and in 2011 additionally 12 new F-16C/D Block50. These two orders were followed by another major fighter jet procurement deal. This time Oman bought 12 Typhoon fighter jets and 8 Hawk Mk166 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) from the British defence company BAE Systems for USD4.1 Billion. The new Hawk Mk 166 trainers replaced all four old Hawk 103s and several of the 12 single-seat, Hawk 203s, of the Royal Air Force of Oman’s.
During the same period (2009-2010) RAFO bought one new C-130J-30 and two C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin, while few years later in 2012 RAFO ordered five C-295 transport aircraft and three C-295MP maritime patrol aircraft equipped with FITS (Fully Integrated Tactical System) Combat Management System, from Airbus.
Besides the procurement of fighter jets, the trainers and the transport and maritime patrol aircraft, the Sultanate of Oman ordered in 2007 three frigates Khareef class built by BAE Systems for £400 Million. The first one Al-Shamikh was launched in July 2009 and commissioned in October 2013, the second Al-Rahmani in July 2010 and commissioned in March 2014 and the third Al-Rasikh in June 2011 and commissioned in May 2014.
Besides these four frigates, the Royal Navy of Oman bought in 2012 four more corvettes Al-Ofouq class, this time from ST Marine of Singapore, for a contract of USD703 Million. The four ships of the contract were commissioned between March 2015 and August 2016.
The defence procurement program of the Sultanate of Oman also included the procurement of new air defence systems from the U.S.A and Norway. The contract was signed at the beginning of 2014 and included the procurement of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) from Raytheon (U.S.A) and Kongsberg (Norway). The value of the contract was USD1.28 Billion.
The most major defence procurement of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces was signed in March 2018 and included the procurement of 28 NH90 multirole helicopters. Of these helicopters 16 helicopters belong to the NH90TTH version and 12 NH90 in naval (NFH) configuration. Furthermore, the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces bought 16 H125 light single engine helicopters in training configuration for operation by the Qatar Armed Forces Air Academy.