Implement Saudi land forces (Jebel 13) with attached drill Oman strengths

The Royal Saudi Land Forces are ready to Implement the (Jebel13) Joint Drill Combining special task forces, parachutists, commando forces, air, land and special operations units from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with participation of special operation forces, from the Sultanate of Oman and aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force early next week in the northwestern Areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The official spokesman of the On behalf Saudi Defense Ministry, Major General Dr. Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Malik, Told the Saudi state press agency (SPA) That this exercise comes as part of a series of joint military exercises - aka Jebel - and combined special operation units with Omani Saudi Counterparts.He Explained aussi que la drills will include various practical steps to boost Aimed battle readiness in Both Sides. The drills will continue over a period of more than two weeks.

ST Engineering’s Aerospace Arm Secures C130 Contract From Royal Air Force of Oman

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd’s (ST Engineering) aerospace arm Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace) today announced that it has secured a contract to provide the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) with a full scale maintenance and modernisation solution for three of its C130 Hercules aircraft. ST Aerospace will undertake both modernisation and maintenance work at its facility in Paya Lebar, Singapore.

The contract includes major servicing of the aircraft, repair and overhaul (R&O) of aircraft components as well as the Rolls-Royce / Allison T56 / 501 engines and its accessories. A significant part of the contract also involves the modernisation of the aircraft cockpit, which is complex in nature and involves extensive aircraft wire tear down and re-wire. The first aircraft is expected to be inducted in the third quarter of 2013, targeting for redelivery in the first quarter of 2014.

Under the modernisation programme, ST Aerospace will equip RAFO’s fleet of C130 aircraft with an avionics suite that is Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) compliant. The avionics suite will include a six-display full glass cockpit, digital flight control system, and flight management system. With this, the aircraft would be able to navigate safely, efficiently and accurately through CNS/ATM-regulated airspace worldwide, significantly improving its operational readiness, despatch reliability and operational efficiency. RAFO will benefit through improved operational efficiency and lower maintenance requirements, while enhancing its overall aircraft availability.

An integrated service provider, ST Aerospace leverages its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) expertise, as well as its strong in-house engineering capability, and value adds through performing depot level maintenance and cockpit modernisation simultaneously. With a short turnaround time of five months, RAFO will enjoy increased savings with minimised downtime of its fleet.

"The Royal Air Force of Oman has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with ST Aerospace for over 20 years. We are satisfied with its performance level and work quality. We selected ST Aerospace because it is a one stop centre for the C130 Hercules aircraft and has extensive capabilities on this aircraft platform. Its ability to undertake depot level maintenance and cockpit modernisation simultaneously is especially advantageous to us, as it minimises downtime and improves aircraft availability of our fleet.” ~ Air Vice Marshal Matar Ali AL-OBAIDANI, Commander, Royal Air Force of Oman

We welcome Oman order for Typhoon and Hawk aircraft

We welcome the decision by the Sultanate of Oman to purchase 12 Typhoon and eight Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft.

 

This contract is further recognition that both Typhoon and Hawk are leading aircraft in their class, providing the best capabilities available. 
As well as supplying aircraft, we will provide in-service support to the Royal Air Force of Oman's (RAFO) operational tasks.
Deliveries are expected to commence in 2017.
Responding to the announcement Guy Griffiths, Group Managing Director for BAE Systems' International business said: “Receiving this contract is an honour and is excellent news for both BAE Systems and the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium. BAE Systems has a long history of working in Oman and we are delighted this contract will enable us to continue to work together. We believe that Oman has now added the most advanced fighter jet and proven training aircraft, available in the world, to its military portfolio.
“We look forward to working in partnership with Oman's Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Air Force of Oman, to ensure this is a highly successful programme that maximises the potential of both Hawk and Typhoon.”

U.S. arms to Gulf allies hint of strategy

The largest infusion of U.S. arms ever for Persian Gulf allies has shifted more toward offensive weapons at the same time that President Obama’s military strategy says it will rely more on allied firepower in any future war.

The only war on the horizon for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and four other Gulf coalition partners would be with nearby Iran.
Noting U.S. sales of air defense-penetrating F-16s and F-15s, satellite-guided bombs and a pending order for ordnance that can burrow deep and then explode, analysts say Gulf nations could participate in a U.S. air campaign to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
These American-armed nations could either be part of an overall war plan or be forced to enter the battle once Iran counterattacks, as expected, with missile launches.
“The thinking certainly is that Iran would retaliate against the Gulf states, or at least against the facilities in the Gulf that we use,” said Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East analyst at the Congressional Research Service. “That would certainly draw the Gulf states into any conflict that went on. The Gulf might become embroiled in this conflict, and I think they’ve calculated it’s best to be prepared.”
There has been public focus on the U.S. military buildup in the Gulf — more aircraft carriers, warplanes and strike groups studded with Tomahawk cruise missiles; more minesweeping ships; a visit by Air Force F-22 stealth jets; and thousands of Army soldiers positioned in Kuwait.
But just as methodically, the George W. Bush and Obama administrations have approved a series of large arms sales that are giving some oil-rich Gulf states offensive capabilities that would make Iran think twice about an attack.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta underscored the alliance Dec. 11 when he landed in Kuwait, a staunch Gulf ally, for consultations. He also spoke to some of the 13,500 U.S. troops stationed there.
“Our presence in Kuwait and throughout the Gulf helps advance the capabilities of partnering nations, deters aggression and helps ensure we’re better able to respond to crisis in the region,” Mr. Panetta told reporters beforehand.
At a Kuwait air base, he said America has 50,000 troops and an armada of warships in the region.

INS Tarkash to anchor at Salalah port

INS Tarkash, the second of the three stealth Frigates under construction at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia, is scheduled for a halt at Salalah from December 22 to 23. The ship will be open for visit by Omani and Indian nationals from 10:00 – 13:00 hours on Sunday, December, 23.

The ship was commissioned and inducted into the Indian Navy by vice -admiral Shekhar Kumar Sinha, flag officer commanding-in-chief, Western Naval Command on November 9, 2012 at Kaliningrad, Russia.

The occasion was graced by the presence of the ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. The ship is on its maiden passage post commissioning. The induction of this fifth multi-role stealth frigate with an advance combat suite and optimal blend of cutting edge technologies would considerably bolster the Indian Navy.

Royal Guard of Oman Carries Out 1st Operational Firing of MBDA's VL MICA System

On 24 September 2012, the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) successfully carried out the first operational firing of a VL MICA missile. The firing, using the RGO’s own VL MICA Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) system, took place at the Abeer test range located in the centre of the Sultanate of Oman in the presence of the highest political and military authorities in Oman.

All aspects of the firing exercise, which included the detection, interception and destruction of an ATARID target flying at more than 14 km range from the VL MICA missile launcher, were completely successful.

For the test firing, an operational VL MICA missile equipped with an RF seeker was used.

The VL MICA GBAD system, delivered to the RGO by MBDA and operating in stand-alone mode under the control of its own Tactical Operation Centre, detected the target with its 3D radar (TRML3D supplied by EADS Cassidian).

U.S., Gulf countries seek to advance missile defense plan

The United States and its Gulf partners are looking to deepen cooperation on missile defense as tensions rise with Iran, and announcements could come soon on new purchases, U.S. officials said on Friday.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) officials in New York as Washington seeks to boost regional defenses against perceived Iranian threats.
"Our aim is to help our Gulf partners with their defense needs ... there is a missile threat that they face, we want to help them face that threat as best they can," one senior U.S. official said, previewing the meeting for reporters.
"We've had expressions of interest from our partners in the Gulf in additional missile defense capabilities," the official said. "We hope that we will be having announcements in the near future regarding those expressions of interest."
The official declined to provide specifics on the plans with the GCC, a political and economic alliance linking Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
But Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon's top supplier by sales, received an initial $1.96 billion contract in December for two of its Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon systems for the United Arab Emirates, the first foreign sale of the system.
Lockheed has said other GCC members, including Saudi Arabia, have expressed interest. Other leading missile-defense contractors include Boeing Co, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman Corp.
Friday's talks reflect the increased tempo of U.S. efforts to put pressure on Tehran, which the United States and its allies say is seeking nuclear weapons capability under the cover of a civil program. Iran denies this, but has been hit with a series of international sanctions over its nuclear work.
SECURITY UMBRELLA

Oman’s Super Hercules Homeward Bound

MARIETTA, Ga., Sept. 13, 2012 – The first of three C-130J Super Hercules for Oman departed the Lockheed Martin facility here yesterday en route to Oman.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The

Oman Accepts Its First C-130J Super Hercules

The first C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman was formally accepted at ceremonies, Aug. 30, at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta facility.

This is the first of three C-130Js on order for Oman and is scheduled for delivery later this year. The new C-130J will be used to support internal country operations where its ability to operate out of remote austere airstrips will be invaluable.

A new C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman ~ Asian Defence Blog

A new C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman conducts a test flight at the Lockheed Martin facility here.

Typhoon's bid to UAE will include new radar technology

The UAE will get the benefits of a new technology development in the Eurofighter Typhoon if it selects the aircraft for its multi-role combat type, the European partnership said today.

 On behalf of the four core nations in the Eurofighter programme, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) to Eurofighter GmbH for the development of an Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (E-Scan).

Eurofighter Chief Executive Officer, Enzo Casolini said: “The timescale is to answer the RFP by October this year and to have an agreement with the nations by the end of the year. The target is to have a contract by the middle of next year and to have an E-Scan entering into service by 2015.”

Work to develop an E-Scan capability for Typhoon has been taking place between the industrial partners of Eurofighter Typhoon for some time. Receiving this RFP is a significant step to having the capability enter into service.

On the opening day of the Farnborough Air Show, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The four partner nations have agreed to take the next step towards exploiting the growth potential of Typhoon

US Navy MH-53 Helicopter with 5 crew crashes in Oman

A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Thursday in the Gulf nation of Oman with five crew members aboard, according to the U.S. military.
Lt. Greg Raelson, a spokesman for the Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, gave no immediate word on the fate of the crew. But an Omani air force official said three of them have been found so far and are being treated in a hospital.
The Omani official was not authorized to release the information and spoke on condition of anonymity.
No hostile activity was suspected.
Raelson said an investigation is under way into crash of the MH-53E Sea Dragon. He said the helicopter was involved in heavy lift operations when it crashed on land some 58 miles (93 kilometers) southwest of the capital Muscat.
A similar helicopter from the same squadron was on the scene carrying out search and rescue operations.
The downed chopper is assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron 15, which is based in Norfolk, Va. The duty officer at the squadron base in Virginia said he didn't have any further details to report.
The three-engine MH-53E is able to operate from aircraft carriers and other warships, and is mainly used for minesweeping operations.
Oman lies on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Along with Iran, it controls access to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway at the mouth of the Gulf that is the route for a fifth of the world's oil supply.
The sultanate maintains close diplomatic ties with both Washington and Tehran.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/19/3713855/us-navy-helicopter-with-5-crew.html#storylink=cpy

BAE close to a deal with Oman on the sale of 12 Typhoon

The British defense group BAE Systems is about to conclude with the Sultanate of Oman agreement for the sale of 12 fighter aircraft Eurofighter Typhoon European consortium, said on Tuesday sources familiar with the matter.

Analysts estimate that the value of an agreement with Oman on the Eurofighter could reach $ 2 billion (1.59 billion euros).

"BAE and Oman are close to agreement on 12 Eurofighter", told Reuters one of the sources.

According to one source, BAE is also ready to provide up to 60 Eurofighter UAE if negotiations between Abu Dhabi and the Rafale Dassault were to fail.

The UAE had finalized an agreement last year representing $ 10 billion with the Dassault group, but discussions have stuck after buyers had considered that the agreement was not competitive.

The Eurofighter consortium, including BAE is part, has in turn failed to convince India earlier this year.The country has "selected" the Dassault Rafale and opened exclusive negotiations for a contract for 126 fighters which would mark the first export sale of this aircraft launched there over 20 years. (See)

Eurofighter has since indicated that he had an amended offer on failure of the Dassault.

BAE has signed an agreement in May to 1.6 billion pounds with Saudi Arabia for providing fighter jets that will allow pilots to train to fly on aircraft sold to the British group. (Rhys Jones, Natalie and Nicolas Huet Delame for the French service)

9X For Oman

Oman has ordered 55 American AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, plus 36 training missiles as well as maintenance and support equipment. Oman bought twelve F-16C fighters a decade ago, along with some AIM 9M missiles. Last year, another 18 F-16s were ordered, mainly to replace aging Jaguar and Hawk warplanes. Omani pilots have become aware of how much better the 9X-2 version is, leading to the latest missile order.
 
The latest version of the Sidewinder, the AIM-9X-2, has come a long way from the first Sidewinder of the 1950s. The 9X-2 can lock-on-after-launch. That is, the missile can be fired and then directed to a target via a datalink. That means it can be fired at ground targets or at an enemy aircraft behind you. The X-2 version also makes improvements in the warhead fuze and other components. As impressive as all these features most are already found in similar missiles made in several other countries (including Russia and China). In effect, the X-2 version is just keeping up. What the U.S. sells, in addition, is an impressive track record of reliability and actually performing as expected in combat. Over 4,000 X model Sidewinders have been built since it entered service in 2003. Block II (X-2) entered service four years ago and cost about half a million dollars each.
 
The AIM-9 is a heat seeking missile, and the heat sensors have become much more sensitive since the first AIM-9 entered service half a century ago. The current versions of the missile work by detecting a heat source at the point where the pilot is looking. This is done using the JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems), which allows a pilot to see, displayed on his visor, critical flight and navigation information. Sort of like a see-through computer monitor or HUD (Head Up Display). Most importantly, the pilot can turn his head towards a target, get an enemy aircraft or ground target into the crosshairs displayed on the visor and fire a missile that will promptly go after target the pilot was looking at. For Sidewinder the pilot has to be looking at something giving off enough heat to catch the attention of the missile's heat sensor. With the X-2 Sidewinder the pilot can launch the missile before he has located the target via the JHMCS, saving a critical few seconds.
 
The JHMCS is already used with some air-to-ground missiles, although no special air-to-ground software was needed for Sidewinders fired at ground targets. Instead, the air-to-air software was modified. This is important because one of the reasons for this mod was to give the F-15C, which carries no air-to-ground weapons (it's strictly an air-to-air fighter) some air-to-ground capability. In addition, fighter-bombers (like the F-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35) will now be able to use their air-to-air weapons in a pinch, once all their actual air-to-ground weapons are gone.
 
Although over half a century old, the Sidewinder has been the most effective air-to-air missile ever produced. The first Sidewinder (AIM-9B) was 3 meters (9.3 feet) long, weighed 71 kg (156 pounds), and had a max range of five kilometers. The most current model, the AIM-9X, is the same size, weighs 87 kg (191 pounds), and has a max range of over 20 kilometers. All models have a warhead weighing about 10 kg (22 pounds). The AIM-9X can go after the target from all angles, while the AIM-9B could only be used from directly behind the target. The AIM-9X is about seven times more likely to bring down the target than the AIM-9B. The 9X entered service in 2000, but the older 9M is nearly as accurate, although without the additional flexibility and capabilities.
 
While air force planners would like to do away with short range, heat seeking missiles, depending on longer ranged, radar guided missiles instead, that is not likely to happen any time soon. Radars and other sensors are still not reliable enough to prevent hostile aircraft from first becoming aware of each other when they are quite close. At that point the cheaper, smaller and increasingly very capable heat seekers are the weapon of choice.

Northrop Grumman to Supply Airborne Fire Control Radars to Thailand, Iraq and Oman for F-16s

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received an $87.8 million foreign military sales (FMS) contract to provide the APG-68(V)9 airborne fire control radar to Thailand, Iraq and Oman for use on F-16 fighter aircraft.

The company will deliver six radar systems to the Royal Thai Air Force, 22 radar systems to the Iraqi air force and 15 radar systems to the Royal Air Force of Oman, for a total of 43 systems. Deliveries are expected to be completed by March 2015. The FMS contract is managed by the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"Selection of the APG-68(V)9 Fire Control Radar by Thailand, Oman and Iraq reaffirms its value and baseline position for all new F-16 production and F-16 avionics upgrades," said Tim Winter, Northrop Grumman's vice president for Global Systems Solutions. "The APG-68(V)9 radar's operational performance, affordable acquisition cost, low sustainment cost and immediate availability has led 12 nations to procure almost 750 systems so far."

The APG-68(V)9 enables engagement of air-to-air and air-to-surface threats with greater accuracy and at greater ranges than legacy F-16 fire control radars. The radar provides autonomous, all-environment, precision air-to-surface targeting with a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar ground mapping mode.

Northrop Grumman has been developing, integrating and producing F-16 fire control radars for 36 years. This includes three variants of the APG-66; eight variants of the APG-68; the APG-80 Airborne Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), developed specifically for the F-16 Block 60; and the newly introduced Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) AESA. The company's long heritage in fire control radars also includes fire control radars for the B-1, F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The contract is in line with U.S. defense policy of enabling the Iraqi air force to assume sovereign air defense duties, and also supports foreign relations with partners Thailand and Oman.

Oman - AIM-9X Block II SIDEWINDER All-Up-Round Missiles

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on June 12 of a
possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Oman for 55 AIM-9X Block II SIDEWINDER All-Up-Round Missiles, 36 AIM-9X Block II SIDEWINDER Captive Air Training Missiles, 6 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Guidance Units, 4 AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missile Guidance Units, 1 Dummy Air Training Missile, and other related equipment. The estimated cost is $86 million.
The Government of Oman has requested a possible sale of 55 AIM-9X Block II SIDEWINDER All-Up-Round Missiles, 36 AIM-9X Block II SIDEWINDER Captive Air Training Missiles, 6 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Guidance Units, 4 AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missile Guidance Units, 1 Dummy Air Training Missile, containers, weapon support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $86 million.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been, and continues to be, an important force for politicalstability and economic progress in the Middle East.The Government of Oman is modernizing its F-16 fighter aircraft fleet to better support its own air defense needs. The proposed sale of AIM-9X Block II missiles will provide a significant increase in Oman’s defensive capability while enhancing interoperability with the U.S. and other allies. Oman will have no difficulty absorbing this additional capability into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this weapon system and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The prime contractors will be Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. There are no offset agreements
proposed in connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Oman involving U.S. Government or
contractor representatives on a temporary basis for program and technical support, and management oversight. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.