Omani F-16 win delivers blow for Eurofighter

Oman has placed a surprise follow-on order with Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, with the development appearing to have ended the UK's hopes of selling Eurofighter Typhoons to the nation.

Announcing the deal in a 14 December contract notification, the US Department of Defense said Muscat will acquire 10 single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers under a deal worth $600 million. These will join eight and four of the respective types already in service with the Royal Air Force of Oman.

In addition to assembling the aircraft at its Fort Worth site in Texas, Lockheed will also provide associated support equipment and logistics services, the DoD said. Work under the deal should conclude by November 2016, it added.

Lockheed officials named Oman as a possible repeat buyer for the F-16 during last month's Dubai air show, although the nation had previously discussed a possible Typhoon acquisition. British sources had recently suggested that a government-to-government deal could be concluded with the UK in early 2012.

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By far the best choice for Oman. The new block F-16 is still a capable fighter (goes to show what an amazing design the F-16, and F-15, are for them to still be able to keep up with modern designs from Europe), and considering the possible foes (or lack of) that Oman would be facing, and the fact that any engagement with a more capable foe (e.g. Iran) would most possibly include participation from the United States as well as the Emirates, there was really no need for Oman to purchase anything more capable than the F-16 (and the Eurofighter is far more capable than the F-16).

This was easily the most prudent choice - Oman gets a good fighter, continues to build close relations with the United States of America, adds to a similar purchase made (which means the training and support networks are already in place), and gets it at a cheap price (compared to what the Eurofighter would have cost they can get 2 or more Vipers for the cost of one Typhoon - and that is fly away price only ....add support and logistics for a new fighter as compared to what was already existing for the F-16, and the total price of the Typhoon would have been even higher). That is the best choice.

Now, for a country like (say) India that faces real opponents (Pakistan and China), such a luxury does not exist - which is why they are deciding between the Eurofighter and Rafale, and why the F-16 (a more advanced variant than the one Oman is getting) got dropped from the competition.

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