Royal Air Force of Oman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Royal Air Force of Oman | |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1959 |
| Country | Oman |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the RAFO | Air Vice-Marshal Yahya Rasheed Al-Juma |
The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) is the air arm of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
[edit] 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 eventually 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. The next increase in capablity was the arrival of the Jaguar International in 1977 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 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.
