Royal Trucial Air Force

The Royal Trucial Air Force is the air force of the Trucial States, a part of the Trucial Armed Forces.

Foundation
The Royal Trucial Air Force was founded in June 1957; prior to that there was the Royal Trucial Army Aviation, which operated 12 Hawker Hurricanes from 1945 to 1959. Creation of a separate aerial wing was the work of Brigadier Abdallah of the Army Aviation, becoming its first commander. In 1958-59 the aging Hurricanes were replaced with six Hawker Hunters. In 1961 ten English Electric Lightning F.1's were ordered.

The outbreak of conflict in neighboring (North) Yemen and increasing likelihood of war saw the government decide to spend millions into expanding the air force. 20 Hunters were ordered in 1964 but it was quickly scrapped in favor of 25 more Lightnings, which would be the backbone of the air force.

Yemeni war
Trucial forces were involved in North Yemen on the Royalist side, with the first deployment in June 1965. Trucial aircraft was used to run a number of sorties against republican-held cities, most famously in Taiz, and airstrikes increased significantly from mid-1966 until the truce in February 1968. Withdrawal of troops was through South Yemen

Gulf War
Was involved in combat operations during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait subsequent Gulf War. Air bases in Bahrain first hosted escaping Kuwait Air Force aircraft and, as air operations against Iraq began, F-5 and F-16 aircraft were used in both defensive and offensive air operations through the conclusion of the Gulf War on 28 February 1991.

Aircraft
275