Minor cold war & Modern Navies 3

What is the definition of a “minor navy” ?
Surely there is a “top tier”, which is most often assimilated to a “blue water navy”. And it is most often assorted with a true aircraft carrier (not an assault ship), which gave us a limited club (USN, and Russian Navy, British, French, Italian and Spanish Navies, and in Asia the PLAN, JSDMF, Indian and Thai Navies). Then came “regional navies” sometimes flagged as “green water” navies, which in high tier have guided missile destroyers and assault ships (like Turkey) while the Bundesmarine have not, and they could still make a projection of power due to large ships with logistic for oceanic operations such as anti-piracy missions in the Red Sea. And this is the lower tier, which could defend its EEZ and do limited projection of powers nearby but not much esle, which is the object of the present chapter.

And there is at the bottom what most calls a “brown water” navy. The name suggest essentially a riverine fleet. It’s especially true of the country had still a limited coastal area but restricted budget and/or is landlocked and only has a complement to just a “police force” for its riverine traffic. This is true also for large lakes, like the Tanganyka in Africa. Still between the low tier regional naval power to the small riverine force, enters most nations on the planet. They are classed by alphabetical order. It must be said that 44 countries in the world (on 195 recoignised ones worldwide) are truly landlocked. Let’s cite Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, in Europe alone, but also Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, Slovakia, South Ossetia, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Transnistria, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In population, 475,818,737 so 6% roughly of the world’s population, showing superbly that the bulk of humanity lives close to the sea. Many of these only have a token riverine police force or nothing at all, even with a small river going through, nike Nepal. These are absent of the list but could be added in 2025.

PART III: Norway to Zanzibar

To be released on May, 17, 2025 on a dedicated page

The Union between the Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway came to an end in 1905. Earlier Norway — like Sweden — had built up a navy of some coastal battleships and a lot of torpedo-boats. From monitors — one built in Sweden — the 1890s saw the building of 4 coastal battleships at British yards and 4 gunboats of varying types, 1 destroyer and 12 small torpedo-boats. In the last years of the Union only some torpedoboats were added. From 1906 Norway did not do much to modernise her navy which was manned by about 1000 regulars and 1000 annual conscripts under a rear-admiral despite having 13,000 miles of coastline and 150,000 islands to protect: 3 small destroyers, 3 large and some smaller torpedo boats as well as 4 submarines were all the warships built before the First World War broke out. But Norway, like the other two Scandinavian countries, decided to complete her division of coastal battleships. Two such with lighter armament than the contemporary Swedish and Danish vessels were ordered in England in 1912. Launched in 1914 they were both seized by the British government as war broke out and never reached the Horten naval base on Oslofjord. During and after the war the Navy was busy minesweeping and recovering 222 dead bodies washed up on the coast.

The Battleship Norge

Norway’s neutrality veered towards the Allies. In 1916, tipped off by the Admiralty’s Room 40, the Government seized a German diplomatic bag in Kristiania (Oslo) and found glanders germs intended to infect the reindeer pulling sledges of British arms from North Norway to Russia. In January 1918 it was abortively suggested that a coastwatch> ing service be established to monitor U-boats in return for the Navy receiving the latest British hydrophones and other equipment. German efforts to cut cable links between the two countries were always shortlived. From 1919 Norway trusted in the everlasting peace and the League of Nations and only some submarines, voted in 1914, were built and completed during the 1920s.
Norway in WW1 Norway in WW2

The Norwegian Navy in WW2

A short overview in the cold war

KNM Stavanger, Oslo class frigates, the most recoignisable surface combatants of Norway in the cold war

When the Second World War ended Norway had a larger and more modem navy than she had had in April 1940, when the Germans invaded. Only a few units escaped to Britain, but the Norwegian government in exile built up a new navy, mostly of ships borrowed or purchased from Great Britain and Canada. In 1947 the Norwegian Navy consisted of six destroyers (one incomplete), four torpedo boats, five submarines, two frigates, three corvettes and two fishery protection vessels, one coastal minelayer, ten minesweepers, one submarine-chaser, ten motor torpedo-boats and three motor launches.
Durning the immediate postwar years, Norway, like all the European countries, had difficulty finding money for defence measures. The navy had received a number of German warships in 1945, but all these vessels were in bad condition and were soon scrapped. In 1951, the USA delivered ten motor torpedo-boats.

The first step to building a new navy was taken in 1950 with the ordering of motor torpedo-boats from a domestic yard. Thereafter Norway constructed, launched and commissioned series of ships and boats for the navy, built at naval and private yards, in cooperation with other NATO navies and with help from the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.
The proliferation of offshore establishments in the North Sea oilfields brought an increased need for patrol vessels, and in the 1980s the Nordkapp class of multipurpose ‘offshore protection vessels’ was commissioned.
The Norwegian Navy has continued to update its fleet, acquiring new submarines and developing a class of surfaceeffect MCM vessels. However, there have been problems, with the new Ula class submarines reportedly causing dissatisfaction due to excessive machinery noise, and the first surface-effect vessel not entering service until a year after its due date. Further programmes are planned, including the acquisition of new frigates to replace the Oslo class (an indigenous design or Dutch Kortenaer class ships both being considered), new fast attack craft and further modernisations for other classes.

Fleet Strenght 1947 (:decommission)

-Bergen class DDs (1945 UK): Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger, Trondheim: 1966-67
-Stord class DDs (1943 UK): Stord, Svenner: 1959
-Aalesund clas DDs (1941): Aalesund (ex-ZN4), other not completed: 1950
-Odin class DDs (1939): Odin, Thor, Balder: 1959
-Sleipner class TBs (1936): Sleipner, Gyller: 1956
-Hunt class Frigates Arendal, Narvik (tr.1946): 1961
-Corvettes: 2x Nordkapp class (1937), 3 Flower class: Andenes, Nordkyn, Soroy: 1956
-Submarines: Ula class ex. U class (UK) purchased 1943-45: Ula, Utstein, Utvaer, Utsira, Uthaug: 1962-65
-Minelayer Laugen (1917): 1948
-Minesweepers: Glomma class (1940): 1961, Orkla class (1943): 1964, Altra class (NYMS 1944): 1959-62, Otra class (1939): 1963
-Sub chaser Haakon VII (1942): 1974
-9 Fairmile D clas MTBs (Faulk class) 1944: 1959
-3 ex-UK Motor Launches ML 125 class: 1947
New pennant numbers given by NATO from 1950.

Fleet Strenght 1960-90 (:decommission)

-Tromso class frigates (ex Hunt class, acquired 1952): 1965
-Draug class frigates (Ex River class, acquired 1956): 1966-77
-Oslo class Frigates (Built at Horten NyD 1963-67): 1994-99
-Kaura class subs (ex Type VIIC subs war repar. 1950): 1961-64
-Knerter sub (ex U4706 Type XXIII war repar. 1950): 1953
-Kobben class subs (15 Type 207, from Nordseewerke Emden built 1961-67): 1982-1999
-Ula class subs (6 Norge design, assembled 1987-92 by Thyssen Nordseewerke Emden): Active
-Amphibious: LCU-1478 1953: 1975, 2x Kvalsund class 1970: 1992, 5x Reinoysund class 1972: 2010s
-Slaipner class corvettes (Built 1963 Nyland, Oslo): 1993
-Corvette Vadso (Stord Verft, ex whaler 1976): 1985
-2x SC type PBs 1957: 1959
-5x S-Boats tr. 1947: 1952 +3 S-Boats tr. 1951: 1959
-10x ELCO Type MTBs tr. 1951 MDAP: 1961-66
-6x Rapp class FAC(T) Built 1952 Westernoens Baatbyggeri Mangal: 1970
-1 Nasty class FAC(T) 1958: 1967
-19x Tjeld class FAC(T) built 1959-60 West. Baat. Mandal: 1982-95
-20x Storm class FAC(M) built 1963-64 Bergens Mek.Vert./Mandal: 1994-99
-6x Snogg class FAC(M) built 1969-71 Mandal: Active 2010s
-14x Hauk class FAC(M) built 1976-79 Bergens/Mandal: Active.
-Launches: Tarva, Welding (1974): 1995.
-2x Vale class Minelayers (1952) ex-LSMs: to Turkey 1960
-2x Vargsund class minelayers (1945, conv 1952): 1960
-4x Tyre class Coastal Minelayers (ex-AUK ac. 1959): 1976-78
-HNOMS Borgen controlled minelayer (Horten NYd 1960): 1999
-2x Vidar class coastal minelayers (Rosendal/Bergen 1977): Active
-13x 1940 R-Boote transferred 1948: 1951-59
-10x Adjutant type coastal Minesweepers (USA, +5 Built Norway 1954-55): 2 extant 1995.
-2x Lagen class (Aggressive class) minesweepers 1955: 1966 to Belgian navy
-Haakon VII training vessel (1944 ex Gardiner Bay tr. 1958): 1974
-Horton support ship (Horten Wft. 1977): Active
-3x Nordkapp class icebreaker patrol vessels (Built Bergens, Horten, Haugesund 1980-81): Active
-Norge Royal Yacht (1937 UK, gifted to Norway 1945) mod.1985, extant.
-Coast Guard: 2x Andenes class (1965:1981), Farm class (1962: 1999), Nornen (1963): Active

Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate, built in Spain, Bazan yard, Navantia.

Skjold class missile Corvettes (large FAC/Ms): Skjold (P960), Storm (P961), Skudd (P962), Steil (P963), Glimt (P964), Gnist (P965)

Uredd and Uthaug in Bergen, Ula class, forming the entire submarine branch. Replacement is planned FY2025.

A Stridsbät90 class at full speed: Trondenes, Skrolsvik, Kråkene, Stangnes, Kjøkøy, Mørvika, Kopås, Tangen, Oddane, Malmøya, Hysnes, Brettingen, Løkhaug, Søviknes, Hellen, Osternes, Fjell, Lerøy, Torås, Møvik

Fleet Strenght today

-6x Ula class subs (1987-92)
-1st Frigate Squadron: 4x Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate 2004-11: Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Otto Sverdrup, Thor Heyerdahl
-1st Corvette Squadron: 6x Skjold-class patrol boat 1998-2009.
-4x Oskoy class Minesweepers/5x Alta class Minehunters: Surface effect catamaran (built Kvarner Mandal 1994-97)
-Coastal Ranger Command: 20x Combat Boat 90N (1996)
-Fleet Logistics Command: HNoMS Maud, Norge (A553), Magnus Lagabøte (A537), Olav Trygvasson (A536)
-Coast Guard: 12x OPVs: Jan Mayen, Bjørnøya, Harstad, Svalbard, Heimdal, Farm, Barentshav, Sortland, Bergen, Nornen, Njord, Tor

Barentshav-class OPVs: Barentshav, Bergen, Sortland

Sources/Read more

en.wikipedia.org/ Royal_Norwegian_Navy

The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) is a branch of the Royal Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman, responsible to defend a long coastline along the Indian Ocean, close to the Strait of Hormuz. A hotbed of trade and a strategic location made the Sultanate weary of foreign interventions, and given the complex and long history of the Sultanate, a navy was created already in 807 CE but established formally in 1650 CE and by, 1970 officially recreated and consolidated.

This is a small yet balanced navy of gunboats, fast missile boats and support, training, cargo and hydro-graphical survey vessels, enough to roam its territorial waters and coastline, protect tankers through the Strait of Hormuz ands anti-piracy, anti-arms smuggling operations. Its headquarters are located in Seeb, near the Muscat International Airport. There is currently a modernization for a larger, more capable fleet, especially since the anti-piracy war started and Houthi insurgency in nearby Yemen. The Royal Oman Police’s fleet is mainly a seperate branch used for inspection, with small boats and patrol crafts, also massively updated. Currently the Omani navy has the largest budget affectation of all three branches.

History

As a quick reminder, the sultanate became a British protectorate in 1888 due to its strategic position. The Royal Navy assured its defence for a century, until full independence was regained in 1971. Still, a small navy, independent was tolerated in the 1950s and took part in the Dhofar Rebellion in 1962.
Its origin went back to the rule of Imam Ghassan bin Abdullah in 807–824 CE, first ruler to have a local Royal navy, to fend off pirates operating along the western shores of the Indian Ocean and threatening its own, very profitable trade routes. But it went from leaps and bounds after further rulers did not took care of it, going on for 800 years. Meanwhile piirates were free to conduct raids along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The royal navy of Oman was only formally established in 1650. The court financed construction, armes and manned the ships, created support.

Traditional wooden dhows, roughly identical to those roaming these old trade lines in the past centuries

The Omani Navy then dominated the Western Indian Ocean already again from the 1400s until the Portuguese that changed this in 1508 after invading Oman and secured hold in the region. In 1515 Oman lost its maritime trade routes to the Portuguese, and the latter financed a massive fleet and consolidated a global Empire. From 1624 however the sultanate started to recover ports under Nasir bin Murshid (1624–1649) and Sultan bin Saif (1649–1688). After a long struggle they were able to forced the Portuguese out by 1650. From there, having all the needed ports, a new naval plan was launched and the Omani Navy regained full official status and grew in size and capabilities.

But it was not to last: The next rulers neglected it and piracy again hampered the Sultanbate’s trade. That is under Ahmed bin Said (1749–1783) which started to rebuild the Omani Navy, commissioned four modern 40 guns ships and 25 coastal vessels (likely large Polaccas), and Xebecs. The foort continued into the 1800s. Under Sultan Said bin Sultan (1806–1856) it was far larger, perhaps aorund 100 ships, mostly small but fast and typical of the traditional arabic range, but also some in the European style. In fact several of these were prestige ships usabled for commercial and diplomatic visits. “Al Sultanah” for example visited New York in 1840 with Ahmed bin Al-Noman Al-Ka’abi, first Arab embassy ever sent to the United States.

From 1862, the Sultanate neglected the navy again due to internal squabbles and attracted foreign appetites. In 1888 the Sultanate could not resist to British pressure and became a protectorate of the British Empire. As seen above, in 1962 the small contingents of the Opani Navy still fought locally in the Dhofar Rebellion against communist insurgents, in naval gunfire support for land operations.

Smugglers supporting the Dhofar Rebellion (1971)

In the late 1960s, the Royal Oman Navy was integrated as a naval branch of the Sultan’s Armed Forces, no longer completely separate. After 1971 and full independence, oil fields were discovered and Oman went into a bonanza of new resources, especially after 1973 and 79 as the barrel price skyrocketed. This gave free hands to massively invest in the navy, growing it considerably.

The Cold War RN of Oman

The first step was to acquire deterrence against foreign interventions, by securing a range of patrol boats with aspects of fast attack crafts.
-The first new ship of the Sultanate was, fittingly, a royal yacht/escort, Al Said built by Brooke Marine in 1969-71. Still active as TS from 1997.
-The Al Bushra class were large patrol crafts armed with missiles, tailor-designed for the Omani Navy by Brooke Marine Ltd. Ordered in 1971, seven ships were launched in 1973-77 in two batches. They had notably the brand new exocet missiles.
-2 ex-Dokkum class (NL) coastal minesweepers were acquired in 1974
-Vosper Thornycroft delivered in 1975 the first 5 of a long lineage of patrol boats (Haras). The next were built in Sweden, for a total of nine.
-In 1977-79 was built the largest vessel of the Navy, the support ship Al Munassir (Brooke Marine) with helideck.
-A dozen more LCUs were also acquired in the 1970s, most extant by 1990.

The 1980s saw the acquisition of new vessels, starting with more offensive Fast Attack Crafts:
-The Dhofar class FAC(M) combined OTO melara guns and exocet missiles, while being capable of 40 kts.
-The Seeb class patrol boats were from Vosper Singapore from 1981 (4)
-Watercraft and Hemsworth provided five 16-tons Inshore patrol crafts from 1981.
-In 1981 was also acquired the first Omani landing craft (LCU), three Vosper Singapore vessels.
-In 1982-85 Brooke Marine built a Kalaat tytpe (Algerian design) landing ship at Brooke Marine to round this up with helideck.
-In 1987 was acquited the amphibious transport Fulk Al Salamah (built in Germany), also with helideck.

The Modern Omani Navy

Al Rahmani of the Rakheef class. These are now the most potent ships of the Omani Navy, which counts 5 corvettes, 12 patrol vessels (some missile armed), 3 amphibians, 2 auxiliaries. Next vessels could be built in south Korea, possibly frigates.

As the country’s GDP grew, a new class of ship was soon ordered after 1990s to boost the Navy’s status and projection powers between the red sea, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
In 1992, two fast corvettes were ordered to Vosper Thornycroft the Quahir al Amwaj class, completed in 1996. These were powerful shipscombining two missiles systems, eight Exocet missiles and a set of Crotale SAMs, an OTO Melara main guns, as well as helicopter deck and hangar.
-In 1995-6 were acquired three Al Bushra class OPVs (Mawj project) built at CMN to replace the first class by Brooke Marine.
In the 2000s a new naval plan raised the bar even more in terms of tonnage:
-In 2007 were ordered three Khareef class corvettes (com. 2013-14) with the same exocets but 12 VL Mica missiles, made by BAE systems.
-In 2012 were ordered the four Al-Ofouq class offshore patrol vessels (1100t) with Oto melara guns and helideck.

Organization

Said bin Sultan Naval Base, official ceremony. src

The main naval base was originally located at the Sultan Bin Ahmed Naval Base in Muscat. It was judged unsfficient for a large fleet, with deeper draught vessels and lacking facilities so it was relocated to Said bin Sultan Naval Base, in Wudam Al Sahil near Al-Musannah from 1988. This was gigantic endaevour, with a homeport for the fleet, training facilities, drydocks and facilities. There is also the Sultan Qaboos Naval Academy on site, forming officers and enlisted personnel and all specific branches of the navy. The academy originated from the 1970s and had British officers and cadree, and Pakistani (mostly) non-commissioned officers. However from 1980, most officers were Omani with British and Pakistani technicians remaining for a time. In 1992, the Royal Oman Navy reached 3,000 personnel.
Its structure is simple since it lacks either a marine corps, naval infantry or spec ops unit, neither a naval aviation branch despite operating helicopters. Its amphibious ships are meant to work in close coordination with the Omani Army. A modernization program in the 2010s was setup to better defend Strait of Hormuz with assistance of the Royal Navy which in 2011, train new corvette crews.

Academy flagship, the schooner Shabab Oman

The country is also active in the field of underwter mapping and surveys, and acquired in 2024 as Catamaran Hull Hydrographic Survey Vessel.
Ties with the European industry for new procurement started to shift to South Korea, with MoD minister Song Young-moo meet his counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi. The question of acquiring South Korean destroyers was spoke about and the Oman signed a deal in 2018 for extra ships and main battle tanks.

Omani Super Lynx, deployed on the Omani Corvettes and large OPVs. Officially they belongs to the air force, not the Navy. The EH-101 is also operated

Omani ships in more detail

The Khareef class are three corvettes operated by the Royal Navy of Oman, built by BAE Systems in Portsmouth (£400m deal) with training by VT Group.
They were laid down as Q40-42, launched between July 2009 and June 2011.
Specs:
2,660 tonnes, 99 x 14.6 x 4.1 m (325 x 48 x 13 ft), 2x MTU 4000 diesel, 28 kn, RA 4,500 nmi, crew 100.
Armed with a 76 mm OTO Melara gun, 2 × 30mm MSI DS30M cannons, 12× VL MICA SAM, 8× MM-40 Block III Exocet, 1 helicopter (Lynx)
Sensors: SMART-S Mk2 3D S-band multibeam radar, TACTICOS CMS, Thales NL Sting weapons director

(conways profile)
The Qahir class are two missile corvettes designed and built by VT Group with hull and superstructure featuring cladding with radar absorbent material and angled sides, so they are the first “stealthy” Opani ships. Construction was part of Project Muheet on 5 April 1992, starting in September 1992 and they were completed in 1996-1997. Still active, not modernized.
Specs:
1,185/1,450 tons FL, 83.7 x 11.5 x 3.5m (274 ft 7 in x 37 ft 9 in x 11 ft 6 in), crew 60
2x Crossley-SEMP-Pielstick 16PA6 V280 STC Diesel: 32,000 bhp (24,000 kW), 31 kn RA 5,500 nmi/12 kn
1× Otobreda 76 mm 62 Super Rapido, 2× Oerlikon GAM-BO1 20mm, 1×8 Crotale NG SAM, 2×4 MM40 Block 2 Exocet
Kelvin-Hughes Type 1007 nav, HSA MW-08 3D ASR, Thomson-CSF Castor IIJ MRR FCR, HSA STING OFC

The Al-Ofouq class are four patrol vessels of Royal Navy of Oman as replacements for the Province-class fast attack craft patrol vessels.
Following a competitive international tender in April 2012, ST Marine of Singapore won the USD703 million contract from the Omani Defence Ministry, beating off Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and India’s Goa Shipyard.[5] The Al-Ofouq class is based on the 75 m (246 ft) variant of the 55 m (180 ft) Fearless-class patrol vessel currently used by the Republic of Singapore Navy.
RNOS Al-Seeb and Al-Shinas took part in the 13th edition of Indo-Oman maritime exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ (Sea Breeze) along with the Indian Navy’s INS Trikand, INS Sumitra and Dornier 228 MPA from 19–24 November 2022. BAE Systems Hawk of the Royal Air Force of Oman also participated in the exercise.[6]
RNOS Al-Seeb also took part in the 14th edition of Indo-Oman maritime exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ (Sea Breeze) along with the Indian Navy’s INS Trikand and Dornier 228 MPA from 13–18 October 2024.[7]
Specs:
1,100 tonnes [1]
Length 75 m (246 ft)[1]
Beam 10.8 m (35 ft)[1]
Draught 3.3 m (11 ft)[1]
Propulsion 2 x MTU 20V 8000 M91 diesel engines, CODELOD
Speed 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[1]
Range 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi)[1]
Complement 66[1]
Sensors and
processing systems

Thales Variant 2D radar[2]
TACTICOS combat management system[2]
Thales Nederland STIR 1.2 EO Mk 2 electro-optic weapons director[2]

Electronic warfare
& decoys

Thales Vigile ESM[2]
Lacroix Sylena multimode soft-kill decoy system

Armament

1 × 76 mm Oto Melara cannon, ‘A’ position
2 × 30 mm Oto Melara Marlin-WS, amidship[3]

Aviation facilities Flight deck capable of launching one medium-sized helicopter[4]

Sources

https://www.mod.gov.om/en-US/rno/pages/about-us.aspx
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/oman-navy-history.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/oman-navy.htm
OMAN’S MARITIME DOCTRINE Submitted by Khamis Salim Sulaiman Aljabri to the University of Exeter
https://www.naval-technology.com/news/news91725-html/?utm_source=&utm_medium=15-17027&utm_campaign=

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