Oman defence ministry's secretary general, air and navy chief to visit India to strengthen ties

India and Oman are set to take defence ties to next level with a number of high-profile visits like by Omani Defence Ministry Secretary General Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi.

Zaabi, who is the executive head of the Omani defence establishment, will visit India from January 30 to February 4.

During the visit, he will co-chair the 10th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC) with Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar. JMMC is the top forum of engagement between India and Oman in the field of defence and gives a framework to defence exchanges between the two sides. The last JMCC was held in Oman in 2018.

Being held after a gap of three years, largely due to Covid crisis, the 10th JMCC is expected to evaluate the ongoing defence exchanges and provide a roadmap for strengthening defence ties further. Indian side has been working for a long time so that the visit can happen soon.

Zaabi during India visit will call on Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It is understood that he will also be given an overview of Indian defence production industry for possibilities of procurement and joint production of defence equipment.

Visit by Secretary General Zaabi kick starts a month of intensive defence exchanges with Oman. February will see high profile defence engagements, which includes visits of chief of Oman's RoyalAir Force, chief of Oman's Royal Navy, and talks between Indian Navy officials and commander of Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO). The visits of the naval and air force chiefs of Oman are taking place after a gap of five years and is expected to enable a high-level re-engagement between the forces of two sides.

February will also witness a bilateral air force exercise in Jodhpur between India and Oman Air force. The annual bilateral air exercise this year will see the participation of over 150 personnel from Oman.

Oman is the only country in the Gulf region with which all three services of the Indian armed forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and staff talks. The country also provides critical operational support to Indian naval deployments in the Arabian sea for anti-piracy missions. The country also actively participates in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of India-Oman strategic partnership. Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region and an important anchor for India’s defence and strategic interests. Defence exchanges are a part of a framework MoU, which was renewed in 2021.

Apart from the engagements in defence, training is a key component in the ties. Omani forces regularly take part in training courses in India both at professional as well as higher command level. Same stands true for Indian armed forces, who take part in the staff and command courses conducted at NDC, Oman.