OV-10 Bronco, Sultanate of Oman Air Force, 1975, Oman

[rickshaw]

OV-10 Bronco, Sultanate of Oman Air Force, 1975, Oman

Oman (/oʊˈmɑːn/ ( listen) oh-MAHN; Arabic: عمان‎ ʻumān [ʕʊˈmaːn]), officially the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطنة عُمان‎ Salṭanat ʻUmān), is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Its official religion is Islam.

Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.  Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean.

The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, has been the hereditary leader of the country, an absolute monarchy, since 1970.[8] Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and third-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Jebel Akhdar War

Jebel Akhdar War (Arabic: حرب الجبل الأخضر Ḥarb al-Jebel el-ʾAkhḍar) or Jebel Akhdar rebellion broke out in 1954 and again in 1957 in Oman, as an effort by Imam Ghalib Bin Ali to protect the Imamate of Oman lands from the Sultan Said bin Taimur; the rebellion was supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The war continued until 1959, when the British armed forces intervened on the Sultan's side, helping him win the war.

Since 1959, Oman's defence forces have been heavily influenced by British interests in the region, with many ex-members of the British Armed Forces serving under contract to the Omani government.

In 1971,  Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, decided because of the lack of availability of aircraft suitable for use in the sorts of operations that his forces were engaged in, in Omani territory, they would purchase aircraft from the United States of America.  The OV-10 Bronco, designed as a light strike aircraft and having seen service in South Vietnam against Communist forces there, appeared ideal.   Twelve aircraft were initially purchased, followed by another twelve two years later.  Equipped with four L7 GPMGs, bombs or rockets and ECM pods, the aircraft were suitable for use by the Omani Defence Forces to quell any resurrection of the Jebel Akdar War.







The Model

The model is a standard 1/72 Academy OV-10A Bronco aircraft, brushed painted with decals from the spares box.

[NARSES2]

I do like this scheme 

[zenrat]

Fab.
It's giving me ideas...

[kitbasher]

Very nice, sir.  Exactly how my own Shorts Bronco for this GB is intended to look (although mine is RAF).  And Oman-based too!  👍

[JayBee]

How devilishly cunning of the SOAF to use the serial No. from one of their old Prpvost T1s. Obviously to confuse onlookers. 

[Captain Canada]

Sweet ! Looks great in those colours. Cheers !