Omani ship Nasr al Bahr

Nasr al Bahr is an amphibious warfare vessel operated by the Royal Navy of Oman. The ship is larger than the preceding amphibious warfare vessel, Al Munassir, with greater capability including the capacity to carry up to 650 t (640 long tons; 720 short tons) of cargo, up to seven main battle tanks or 240 troops. The warship is fitted with a large bow ramp that allows for vehicles to be disembarked at steep angles. Armament includes two twin 40 mm (1.6 in) guns that fire shells designed to combat anti-ship missiles. Launched in 1985, the ship was upgraded, including adding a traditional funnel in 1992, but an attempt at a more significant update of systems in 1995 failed. The vessel has participated in exercises with the navies of other nations, including Exercise Saif Sareea, and provided humanitarian aid to Musandam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nasr al Bahr, in the foreground, operating with HMS Monmouth in 2011
History
Oman
Name	Nasr al Bahr
Ordered	18 March 1982
Builder	Brooke Marine, Lowestoft
Laid down	May 1982
Launched	16 May 1984
Commissioned	13 February 1985
General characteristics
Class and type	Brooke Marine 93 m amphibious warfare ship
Displacement	2,500 t (2,500 long tons) (full)
Length	93 m (305 ft 1 in)
Beam	15.5 m (50 ft 10 in)
Draft	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Installed power	7,800 bhp (5,800 kW)
Propulsion	Two Paxman Valenta diesel engines, two shafts
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h)
Range	4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 13 knots (24 km/h)
Complement	84
Sensors and processing systems	Decca TM 1226 sea search and navigational radar Decca 1290 navigational radar Erricson 9LV fire control radar Kelvin Hughes MS 45 echo sounder
Armament	2 × twin Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns 2 × single Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons
Aviation facilities	Facilities for 1 helicopter up to a Westland Sea King

Design and development

The Royal Omani Navy, officially known as the Sultan of Oman's Navy until June 1990, has the responsibility of ensuring that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz is clear and safe for shipping and protecting the country's 370 km (230 mi) coastline.^[1][2] Unusually for the region, the navy has the capability to undertake amphibious warfare.^[3] Nasr al Bahr is the second large amphibious warfare ship operated by the navy and was ordered from Brooke Marine as a complement to the smaller Al Munassir that was already in service.^[4] The design is similar to the Kalaat Beni Hammed class ordered by the Algerian National Navy and the ships are sometimes considered to be of the same class, although they differ in details like their power plant and sensors.^[5] They are collectively known as Brooke Marine 93 m amphibious warfare ships.^[6]

Nasr al Bahr displaces 2,500 metric tons (2,500 long tons; 2,800 short tons) and has an overall length of 93 m (305 ft 1 in) and 80 m (262 ft 6 in) between perpendiculars. The ship's beam is 15.5 m (50 ft 10 in) and mean draught is 2.3 m (7.5 ft). The ship's complement consists of 13 officers, 16 chief petty officers and 52 other enlisted ranks.^[7] The vessel is powered by two Paxman Valenta 18RP200CM diesel engines that drive two constant-pitch propellers. They are rated at a combined power of 7,800 bhp (5,800 kW). In service, the ship is rated at 15.5 knots (29 km/h; 18 mph) and has sufficient fuel to cruise for 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). The ship has an endurance of 28 days, although this is reduced to 10 days when carrying troops.^[8] When the vessel entered service, there were problems with the exhaust system, which was split with some gases being ejected underwater. A solution was found in 1992 with the introduction of a traditional funnel.^[9] The ship is fitted with three diesel auxiliary engines with a combined output of 180 kW (240 hp).^[10]

The vessel was designed to transport up to 380 t (370 long tons; 420 short tons) of cargo or seven main battle tanks, plus a number of landing craft.^[6] This was later extended to a maximum load that can be landed of 450 t (440 long tons; 500 short tons), increasing to 650 t (640 long tons; 720 short tons) for a cargo that is solely to be transported and does not need to be beached. The ship can carry a landing force that includes 13 officers, 16 non-commissioned officers and 211 other enlisted ranks. The vehicle deck measures 76 m (249 ft) by 7.4 m (24 ft) and is equipped with a cargo hatch that measured 30 m (98 ft) by 7 m (23 ft). Vehicles and personnel can disembark from a bow ramp that is 18 m (59 ft) long and 4.5 m (15 ft) wide. A stern ramp is also fitted that measures 5 m (16 ft) in length and 4 m (13 ft) in width. Vehicles can be disembarked onto land on a gradient of up to 1:40. Fitted forward is a crane capable of lifting 16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons) that can move around to enable the cargo deck to be unloaded. Two Sea Truck landing craft are carried.^[11]

Armament and sensors

Equipped with a gun-only armament, Nasr al Bahr carries two twin Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) L/70 guns in Breda DARDO mounts and two single Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons in GAM B01 mounts.^[8] The former weapon, also known as the Compact Forty, fired High Explosive (HE) shells at a rate of 600 rounds per minute at a muzzle velocity of 1,025 m (3,363 ft) per second. They can also fire Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) rounds at a muzzle velocity of 1,350 m (4,430 ft) per second; these shells are designed to destroy incoming anti-ship missiles.^[12] The Oerlikon cannons fire rounds at 1000 rounds per minute at a muzzle velocity of 1,050 m (3,440 ft) per second.^[13] The vessel is also equipped with a helipad aft that can accommodate a helicopter up to the size of a Westland Sea King.^[5]

For sensors, the ship is fitted with a Decca TM 1226 sea search and navigational radar and a Decca 1290 navigational radar.^[6] Originally a single CSEE Lynx electro-optical fire control system was fitted.^[14] This was later complemented with an Erricson 9LV 200 fire control radar.^[8] A Decca Radar Detecting and Locating system, RDL-2, is included to provide electronic support measures (ESM).^[15] A single Kelvin Hughes MS 45 echo sounder is fitted.^[6] The ship is equipped with two Wallop Barricade decoy launchers; Oman had been the launch customer for the weapon.^[7][16] Each fires 57 mm (2.2 in) chaff and flare rockets.^[17]

Construction and career

Ordered on 18 March 1982, Nasr al Bahr was laid down by Brooke Marine at their shipyard in Lowestoft in May. She was launched on 16 May 1984 and commissioned into service on 13 February 1985.^[8] The ship carried the pendant number L.2.^[18] An attempt to upgrade the ship's systems in 1995 failed, although the aft Oerlikon mount was removed in 1996 to improve stability.^[9] On resuming active service, the ship spent more time in dock than at sea. Nonetheless, a study in 2005 found that, during the year, Nasr al Bahr was at sea for 52 days. This compares favourably with the rest of the fleet, which ranged from 23 to 75 days at sea during the period, excluding two outliers.^[19]

A key role for the Royal Omani Navy is to exercise with other navies and visit foreign ports.^[20] As the largest ship in the Omani force, Nasr al Bahr frequently undertakes joint operations with ships of other navies. Key amongst these is Exercise Saif Sareea, a large military exercise between the United Kingdom and Oman that ran between 15 November and 8 December 1986.^[21] The two countries have long cooperated in naval matters, and British officers serve in the Omani Navy.^[22] The vessel also took part in Exercise Khanjar Haad on 10 May 2011. This exercise involved ships of the Royal Omani Navy working with the French and US Navies as well as the Royal Navy.^[23] Meanwhile, as part of a wider mission in the Indian Ocean to demonstrate the capability of the Omani Navy to other countries, the vessel had visited Goa, India in 1990.^[24]

In addition to her role in amphibious operations, the capacity that Nasr al Bahr offers is used to provide logistical support to Oman's outlying territories. These include ferrying equipment and personnel to the strategically important Masirah Island, used by the United States Armed Forces as a staging post for their operations in the Persian Gulf and a major base for the Royal Air Force of Oman.^[25] In January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship provided humanitarian aid, including carrying fuel and other supplies, to Khasab in the Musandam Governorate. Fuel was loaded onto tankers that were carried in the ship's hold.^[26]