Royal Navy of Oman Fine-Tunes its Surface Fleet

摘要

As one of the larger maritime forces among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) possesses a well-equipped and increasingly well-balanced surface fleet that is able to respond regionally, with capabilities ranging from missile-armed corvettes to catamarans equipped with medical facilities. Some of the surface assets can be deployed in support of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions, a capability that is strongly suggested following the 35th GCC summit in Doha, Qatar, in December 2014. However, Oman's coastline - some 2,090km - requires an update of its current naval capabilities, but also additional capabilities (e.g. precision strike, amphibious transport) the RNO is currently lacking. The two 72m High Speed Support Vessels (HSSVs) Australian shipbuilder AUSTAL built for the RNO offer a range of new capabilities to support naval operations, including helicopter operations, rapid deployment of military personnel and cargo, as well as search and rescue, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. This type of support vessel will provide Oman's Navy with a capability that other countries in the region are lacking.