Oman Navy Chief visits India eyeing defence procurement & additional training slots

In a visit that would enable to expand India-Oman strategic partnership in the Western Indian Ocean Commander Royal Navy of Oman ( CRNO) Rear Admiral Saif Al Rahbi is undertaking a visit to India from February 14-18 eyeing to procure naval equipment and secure additional training slots.

The visit is being undertaken on invitation from the Indian Navy Chief in reciprocation of his hosting erstwhile Navy Chief in Oman in Sep 21 during which a MoU was also signed.

India Oman Navy to Navy Staff Talks are also being held on the sidelines of this visit.

The visit comes close on the heels of the visit to India by the Secretary General of Oman’s Ministry of Defence on Jan 31-Feb 4, 2022 and signifies intensification of defence contacts between India and Oman. Last Visit by Oman Navy Chief to India was undertaken in September 2017. Later this month the Chief of the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) will also visit India.

The current CRNO assumed charge in January 21 and this visit is also significant in terms of India’s outreach to the new military leadership which was appointed under the new Sultan of Oman, sources said.

Ongoing maiden visit by CRNO RAdm Saif Al Rahbi would witness interaction with all services Chiefs and Foreign Secretary among others. Interactions are also scheduled to attract more training subscription and naval equipment procurement from India, sources said.

A visit to IFC- IOR is scheduled to push for early operationalisation of Information Exchange. India and Oman have recently signed a White Shipping Exchange Agreement.

“CRNO remains a key player in furtherance of our maritime interests & strategic initiatives in capacity of Chairman Maritime Security Committee of Oman,” a source informed adding, later part of his visit includes visit to operational facilities, ship building & repair facilities at Mumbai and familiarization with Western Naval Command which is the primary Naval Command that deploys ships to this region.

Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region and an important anchor for India’s defence and strategic interests. Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar for the robust India-Oman strategic partnership. Defence exchanges are guided by a Framework MOU which was recently renewed in 2021.

Oman is the only country in the Gulf region with which all 3 services of the Indian armed forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and staff talks, enabling close cooperation and trust at the professional level. Oman also provides critical operational support to Indian naval deployments in the Arabian sea for anti-piracy missions.

Bilateral training cooperation between the two sides is also robust with Omani forces regularly subscribing to training courses in India both at professional as well as higher command level. Indian armed forces also subscribe to the Staff and Command courses conducted at NDC, Oman. Oman also actively participates in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

The Indian Navy has a wide-ranging partnership with the Royal Navy of Oman on several fronts, including operational interactions, training cooperation and exchange of subject matter experts in various fields. Since 1993 both the navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise “Naseem Al Bahr”. The maritime exercise, which was last conducted off the Goa coast in 2020, is scheduled to take place again in 2022.

The Port of Duqm in Oman has offered facilities to the Indian Navy and the two sides have signed two critical defence related MoUs last year. Oman which holds tri service joint exercises with India is expected to play a critical role in enabling New Delhi maintain its role of net security provider in the Western Indian Ocean Region where China has embarked on a plan to boost its strategic presence as evident through the recent visit of Foreign Minister Wang Yi.