The Royal Army of Oman (Arabic: الجيش السلطاني العماني), also called the Royal Oman Land Forces, is the ground branch of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces that protects the sovereignty of Oman. In terms of materiel, the Army is small but well equipped to the extent that external aggression is now realistically deterred. The Royal Army is the oldest and largest branch, with 20,000 personnel. The Royal Army was originally established for defeating an insurgency in the south of the country.