Welcome back to India Defence Online...If you haven't done so yet, subscribe to the RSS feed as it will save you a lot of time. Thanks for following the site!
The INSAS gun, made by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), will soon be a part of the weaponry of the Oman Army. Although Oman has sourced equipment from India in the past, this will be the first time an order of guns has been placed by a West Asian nation.
According to defence sources, the INSAS gun of the OFB is currently undergoing trials for the Oman Army.
While India has been making inroads into the Middle East, most of the crucial agreements have been kept under wraps by India and Oman in the past. In October 2003, India signed an MoU with Oman regarding the supply of Indian-made military hardware to Oman, repair of Omani ships and other military equipment in India.
Another issue pertaining to the agreement involved the training for Omani military personnel at Indian Defence Academies. A high-level delegation from Oman visited India to finalise this agreement and foster greater defence ties. In December 2005, India and Oman signed a comprehensive defence Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with the aim of strengthening their naval co-operation. Several Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercises have been successfully carried out and have met the underlying aims of the operation.
As per a defence agreement signed in 2008 between India and Oman, a maritime security arrangement was concluded as well as possibilities of stationing Indian troops in Oman. The state-owned Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has previously delivered three tugboats to Oman and is now getting orders from Oman due to its efficiency.
In October 2009, India and Oman conducted their first joint air exercises, code named Eastern Bridge, at the Royal Air Force of Oman base at Thumrait. The Indian Air Force (IAF) fielded six single-seat, Darin-I Jaguars alongside Omani Jaguars and F-16s besides involving two IL-78 MKI air-to-air refueler aircraft for tanking the Jaguars en route to Oman and an IL-76. The bi-lateral exercise enhanced the understanding of operational, maintenance and administrative procedures between the Royal Air Force of Oman and the IAF.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
