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Finance for the Dhofar War. Who paid ?
 
In March 1972  the Chiefs of Staff Committee met to consider the
 "Future United Kingdom Defence Activity in Oman"

In ANNEX A TO COS 37/72 in paragraph 32 they put down their thoughts about the finance of the war in Dhofar
  • The sultan was to pay the full cost of personnel on loan to SAF and SOAF
     
  • The assistance from the FST and SAS had been provided since September 1970 on an lower extra cost basis from the Government of Oman. The reasoning behind this being that it was to be a short term commitment which "had special training value for the services and which would contribute to stability in the Gulf area during the difficult period of our withdrawal from Bahrein and Sharjah"
     
  • The lower rate would continue until June 1972 even though the circumstances which justified it now no longer existed.
     
  • No charge would be made following the changes as this might be thought to be unreasonable.
     
  • In the future a full cost basis would be used for direct assistance but a bit of "horse trading "was considered "if some identifiable return could be established, e.g. in the context of a quid pro quo for abandoning our current commitments for the defence of Salalah airfield."
I
 I did enquire of a former SAF Officer what the arrangements had been for the payment for seconded British and other forces and received the reply below late in March 2009
 

I'm  almost certain that all British troops deployed to Oman (at least from 1970 onwards) either as units (SAS / FST / Sapper Sqn / Cracker Bty etc, etc) or as loan service individuals  to SAF and then subsequently to the three services, were paid for by Oman.

 I recall some hard talking in the 1980s by the Head of Resources under Gen Tim Creasey when Tim was the boss, at the MODUK who were charging some unbelievable sum for loan service RAF pilots, who were flying as much in an 18 month tour  with SOAF as they would get in about 10 years in UK / Germany.

 Individuals on contract were of course paid for by Oman.

 Iran paid for its Brigade,  and I think Jordan paid for its Sapper  Sqn  and Special Forces Bn. Jordan donated a Sqn of Hunter aircraft in 1975.  Oman paid the Indian government for its medical and naval staff on loan to Oman 
 
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