Gulf of Oman

Gulf of Oman is a map in Battlefield 2, Battlefield Play4Free, and Battlefield 3. It was the map featured in the Battlefield 2 demo.

It involves a United States Marine Corps assault on an area in Oman, in the Persian Gulf.

Description
''"A USMC Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has landed on this Persian Gulf beach during the night in the hopes of quickly seizing the nearby MEC airbase.

The stakes are high for both sides. The Marines face possibly being driven into the sea and destroyed. The MEC forces could lose a key airbase and open the door for US forces to take strategic oilfields. Both sides have been using the morning to prepare for a final assault."''

General Overview
Generally, the match begins with a blitzkrieg-esque rush, with all manner of chaos and destruction from land, sea, and air. The MEC moves to bring their armor and gunship to bear on the USMC holdings. Conversely, USMC typically brings their armored cavalry from their mainland bases to rush the southernmost MEC CP, the Hotel. The MEC should be on the lookout for Blackhawk-borne USMC coming to stake their claim at the Hotel as well, although they occasionally choose to strike at the Construction Site or Village instead. In public matches, one can expect to encounter token air power, as most players are not adept jet pilots. However, in the case of clan scrims or if you simply have the misfortune to face an ace pilot, the USMC can expect the MEC Su-34 Fighter-bomber to blunt any armored incursion into MEC territory and can expect the gunships to be on the prowl for prey. In your average public match, one faction will quickly dominate the mainland control points and the opposing force will be pinned in the their permanent base.

MEC
MEC Airfield: The MEC team's permanent base. It is located in the northeastern area of the combat zone.

Hotel: 1 of 3 MEC-controlled CPs (Capture Points). It is located south of the airfield. The Hotel is easy to reach on any land or air vehicle, but reaching it on foot will be very time-consuming.

Construction Site: 1 of 3 MEC-controlled CPs. It is located south-sothwest of the airfield. It is easy to reach by land vehicle and Helicopter, but somehwat hard by foot (if spawned on a CP other than the Construction Site). It appears to be the closest MEC CP to the USMC CPs to the south.

Village: 1 of 3 MEC-controlled CPs. It is located west of the airfield, near the end of the airfield's 2 runways. It is easy to reach by vehicle and on foot.

USMC
USS Essex: The USMC team's permanent base. It is located in the south-western side of the map.

River Fortification: 1 of 4 US-controlled CPs. It is located on west side of the map, nearby the river. The River Fortification is easy to reach from the coast or river and features several vehicles.

Olive Hill Fortification:1 of 4 US-controlled CPs. It is located at the centre of the map near the coast. The Olive Hill Fortification is a quite open area with light vehicles.

Rock Fortification:1 of 4 US-controlled CPs. It is located between the Olive Hill and Village Fortifications. The Rock features several vehicles and buildings that give a good amount of cover.

Village Fortification:1 of 4 US-controlled CPs. It is the eastern USMC flag and is equally distant from the Rock Fortification and the Hotel. The Village Fortification features light vehicles and long lines of sight.

USMC
USMC Radar and UAV assets are located in their usual positions on the USS Essex and their artillery are located on the thin sand spit located southeast of the River Fortification.

MEC
All MEC assets are located at the Airfield. The UAV Trailer is located near the runway's air sock, the Satellite is located close to the Main Entrance of the airfield, and the Artillery is located in front of the other land entrance to the airfield, near the oil mines.

Strategic Points
Starting from the northeast and listing MEC first, followed by USMC (initial control).

Airfield
This is the MEC's uncapturable base. It is fairly easy to infiltrate, given its open position and large amount of cover from the hilly landscape that surrounds it. The MEC should expect USMC sabotueurs and expect them often, usually inserted via boat or by air such as Transport Helicopters. It would be wise to check the base from time to time to make sure the assets are all in working order. Should the USMC capture all of the CPs on the Infobox/map, getting out of the Airfield position is practically impossible unless a massive change in strategy and coordination takes place. There are many fixed Anti-Air emplacements here which can be useful for repelling the initial USMC rush. Included vehicles:
 * T-90
 * FAV
 * MiG-29
 * Su-34
 * Mil Mi-28 Havoc

Village
If the USMC moves to capture this point quickly, than they will be able to strike from your right/left flank. This point is also pivitol for preventing early USMC airfield rushes, with the objective being MEC Airfield assets. The APC at this location is useful for preventing such rush tactics and swimming the APC up the river is a sound strategy for covertly advancing on the River Fortification. An Anti-Aircraft position is included at this CP, but it is very vulnerable to attack.

Included vehicles:


 * BTR-90
 * FAV/DPV

Construction Site
This location is very exposed to ground attack from the USMC positions. Be aware, however, that there are many places amongst the structures and terrain that provide cover for ambushing enemy armor. Additionally, vehicle-mounted players will not be able to directly effect the control point, as there is very little space and barely any concealed entrance/exitways for vehicles such as tanks or APCs to enter/exit. This means that the flag must be taken by only infantry. Included vehicles:
 * BTR-90
 * FAV/DPV

Hotel
This control point is probably the most vulnerable of the initial MEC positions as the control point can be captured by vehicle-mounted players. The hilly landscape surrounding the flag also helps attackers to secure the flag more easily. To make matters worse, there are very wide-open avenues of approach and plenty of open ground for Transport Helicopters to land, making slowing down enemy armor and air advances very difficult. The roof of the hotel is the only area near this CP that is remotely defensible. As such, expect to find snipers or AT infantry defending from this position or trying to climb to the top. The best strategy for controlling this point is to try to create a buffer zone by controlling the nearby Village Fortification, instead of trying to defend the Hotel directly. Like the Construction SIte, the land around the flag is too small for armored vehicles to defend, so capturing the flag will heavily depend on infantry. An Anti-Aircraft position is included at this location. It will be close to the flag near a few bushes and under a tree. This AA-Position is very useful when defending, as Helicopters often go into the area making an easy capture of the flag.

Included vehicles:
 * T-90
 * BTR-90

River Fortification
This point is integral to the USMC advance, hosting the most versatile inventory of vehicles to advance on MEC positions and being the closest CP to the USMC's artillery. The best approach to this position is from the river/coast, as it is well protected from air and ground attacks. If the MEC team decide to rush, this will probably by the linchpin of their assault. Capturing this point for the MEC ensures the security of Airfield assets and opens of the possibility of sabotaging the USMC's assets, both on land and on the aircraft carrier. This point can be captured by vehicle-mounted players, but this is not recommended, as it is very easy to flank vehicles in this position. The 2 buildings near the flag offer good cover to protect players from incoming airstrikes and from enemy armor. They are also good spots for Snipers and AT soldiers to attack enemy infatry and armor from. However, one of the buildings will be partially destroyed, giving infatry inside less cover from Artillery Strikes and bombing runs. An Anti-Aircraft position is included at this location. It will be near the flag, close to a wall of the wrecked building. Included vehicles:
 * M1A2 Abrams
 * LAV-25
 * DPV
 * Rigid Inflatable Boat

Olive Hill Fortification
This USMC position is quite in the open, but that provides benefits as well as disadvantages. It is easy to secure this position against incoming armor, due to the sandbag and metal drum walls, which funnel vehicles. These walls also provide cover from incoming fire from armor and snipers. However, this position also tends to take a lot of flak from MEC Air Support and Artillery, as it is an easy target. Make sure to bring engineers if you plan on taking this point with vehicles, as the risk of finding mines and C4 on this point is very high. An Anti-Aircraft position is included at this location. It will be behind the flag, in front of a tower near the flag. Included vehicles:
 * LAV-25
 * DPV

Cock Fortification
Like the Olive Hill Fortification, this fortification is surrounding by sandbag and metal drum walls, allowing defenders to funnel enemy vehicles into easily defensible approaches. The same strategies for attacking and defending that work on Olive Hill generally hold true for this position as well. However, the terrain and the fact that this position includes a Tank makes defending it a bit easier. Also, there is a well-covered, direct approach from this position to the Construction Site, making this CP the premier stepping stone to that MEC CP. Like Olive Hill, beware of enemy aircraft as they will make short work of Rock if you aren't prepared. An Anti-Aircraft position is included at this location. It will be in between the lookout tower near the flag and a sandbag bunker along one of the entrances/exits. Included vehicles:
 * M1A2 Abrams
 * LAV-25
 * DPV

Village Fortification
The southernmost of the beach forts, this USMC position is the springboard to attacking the Hotel. Defense and Offense strategies are anologous with those of the Rock and Olive Hill Forts. An anti-aircraft position is included at this location. Included vehicles:
 * LAV-25
 * DPV

Amphibious Assault Ship
This is the USMC's uncapturable base. As usual, the LHD is the starting point for the most effective USMC offensives, sporting two separate Transport Helicopters, which can easily throw the MEC defenders into chaos if they are unprepared. The fighters here are crucial for fending off the MEC Su-34 if it becomes a problem and for hunting down the MEC gunship which may attempt to foil the USMC ground attack. The gunship here can be tricky to advance upon MEC CPs since the MEC usually plays the beginning of the round defensively, and will be well prepared to repel the incoming USMC assault. Unless you get an early start, it is best to let the fighters and transports pave the way before coming in to assist, as they will usually be enough to distract the AA enough to find a suitable hole in the defenses. The boats are easily one of the safest routes to take from the carrier, as they will go largely unnoticed, at least early in the round when the MEC is scrambling to blunt the USMC ground attack. Skirting the northern border of the Infobox/map and then disembarking just before going under the bridge is a good strategy for covertly moving on the Village or Construction Site. Finally, if the MEC have managed to capture much of the mainland CPs, they may try to infiltrate the carrier with their own means of transport. Conventional attempts via air are typically dispersed in short order by the AA Turrets, but some pilots can get creative, flying extremely high in the sky to avoid detection, or even flying into the carrier loading bay. Infiltration by sea will give the MEC players a slightly better chance, but will be more time consuming. For the best chances, MEC players will usually drive an APC towards the carrier. This is a much slower approach compared to using RIBs, but the APC will be able to deal more damage towards the troops on the carrier, with its autocannon and Anti-Tank Missiles. Side-Mounted Machineguns can be used to neutralize infantry threats in the loading bay. Included vehicles:
 * F-35 (x2)
 * AH-1Z Cobra
 * UH-60 Black Hawk (x2)
 * RIB (x2)

Battlefield Play4Free
Oman returns as a featured map in Battlefield Play4Free. It is based on the 32-players variant from Battlefield 2, but has only four control points and two uncapturable bases - one for each team, rather than five control points and two uncapturable bases. The two factions differ only in that the United States Marine Corps fights the Russian Army rather than the Middle Eastern Coalition. Multiple FAV's and DPV's lay scattered about the outskirts of the map for players who wish to travel around quickly.

In-game Description
"Seeking to take control of the valuable Oman oil reserves the Marine Forces must mantain air superiority over the Russian Forces to seize this valuable land."

US Base: USS Essex
The USMC spawns on the USS Essex with six RIBs, one LAV-25, two F-35B's, an AH-64, a MH-60 Knight Hawk, and two Stingers for air defense. Another AH-64 will spawn when the Russian forces will take the A flag, and the MH-60 and RIB's will spawn very quickly after the last has left the base.

A: Beachhead
The Beachhead is the closest control point to the US Base and once captured, it will spawn two HMMWV's, one LAV-25, one M1A2 Abrams, a DPV, another Stinger site, and a BGM-71 TOW just outside on a hill, overlooking the main entrance to the base. When under Russian control, a BTR-90, a T-90, two Vodniks, an FAV, an IGLA, and an HJ-8 will spawn here. Being the closest base to the US amphibious assault ship, it is incredibly important to hold this base as the USMC can easily become spawn camped if it is not taken back.

B: Wrecked Train
The Wrecked Train is a bit closer towards the US base and can be reached very fast with the Knight Hawk or a RIB and DPV and is about equidistant from points A and D, much like the Gas Station. If captured, a Stinger or IGLA will spawn on the train car with the concrete pipes and a BGM-71 TOW or HJ-8 will spawn near the flag. No other vehicles spawn here, but an FAV can be found down by the river, away from the site. Much of the heavy fighting occurs here as it is the only middle base to have an anti-air site, making it very useful to defend against helicopters and jets.

C: Gas Station
The Gas Station is a bit closer to the Russian base and can easily be reached by the Hip or a Vodnik, but is about an equal distance from point A and D. Once captured, it will spawn a Vodnik and HJ-8 for the Russians and an HMMWV and BGM-71 TOW for the Americans. This base is hotly fought over for the control of the middle ground and if not defended, it can easily fall to enemy hands. The hotel is a good spot for Recons to snipe of enemys trying to take over the station.

D: Construction Site
The Construction Site is the closest base to the Russian base. When captured, it will spawn four FAV's, one T-90, an IGLA on top of the construction site, and an HJ-8 overlooking point C, just outside the base. When under control by the Americans, four DPV's, a BGM-71 TOW, and Stinger will spawn here. The base can be easily reached by the Mi-17 Hip or a Vodnik, and the tower crane overlooking the Construction Site is a wonderful sniping spot for Recon players, but it can take a long time to climb, even with Power Climb.

RU Base: Airfield
The Russian Army spawns at the airfield with three Vodniks, one BTR-90, two MiG-29 Fulcrums, a Mi-17 Hip, a Mi-28 Havoc, and two IGLA's for air defense. A T-90 will also spawn about a minute in to the game near the two helipads. The Vodniks and Hip spawn very quickly after they have left the vicinity of the base.

Glitches

 * There is a glitch at the pool where you can swim in invisible water. Also when you shoot at the ground, the invisible water splashes, although all you see is the bottom.

Battlefield 3
Gulf of Oman was released in Battlefield 3 via the Back to Karkand map pack. EA held a competition involving the name change of capture point "Rock Fort" as now the capture points views villas. The new name chosen for this point was "Veteran's Retreat". 

Overview
A USMC Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has landed on this Persian Gulf beach during the night in the hopes of quickly seizing the nearby Russian airbase. The stakes are high for both sides. The Marines face possibly being driven into the sea and destroyed. The Russian forces could lose a key airbase and open the door for US forces to take strategic oilfields. Both sides have been using the morning to prepare for the final assault.

US Deployment
The US begin on an aircraft carrier which acts as their main deployment with the four nearest control points/flags on shore (A, B, C & D) captured. On the Carrier the following vehicles spawn:
 * Rigid Inflatable Boat (x2)
 * F-35 (x2)
 * UH-1Y Venom
 * AH-1Z Viper
 * Centurion C-RAM

RU Deployment
Russia begins on an airfield base which acts as their main deployment with the 3 nearest points/flags (E, F & G) captured. The following vehicles spawn at the RU deployment
 * Su-35BM Flanker-E (x2)
 * Mi-28 Havoc
 * T-90
 * BTR-90
 * VDV Buggy
 * Pantsir-S1

A: Fort River
Fort River's river-mouth position places it on the western flank of the line of control points that the US holds at the start of the battle. Although infantry within the wide capture radius have only the sparse crates and small shed surrounding the patch of sand that holds Fort River's flag as cover, the titular river to the west provides both a flanking route for the US Army's carrier-based RHIB boats and concealment for troops moving on the Construction Site (E).

US Vehicles:
 * LAV-25
 * Desert Patrol Vehicle

RU Vehicles:
 * BTR-90
 * VDV Buggy

B: Olive Fort
The Olive Fort (B) control point is little more than a small staging area surrounded by a few crates. The control point starts out in the possession of the US team. The flag sits in the center of the supply area and can easily be captured by both infantry and vehicles. Defenders here have few places to hide other than the large crates that surround the perimeter. Mines posted around the flag are effective for deterring vehicle attacks. Perhaps the control point’s greatest defensive asset is its remote location, allowing defenders to spot incoming attackers at long range. The beach by the fort acts as a great defensive position for the RU army's light and heavy armor when the US army is forced back to their aircraft carrier allowing heavy and light tanks destroy oncoming RHIB boats attacking the fort and aerial vehicles can provide cover from gunships and jets.

The following vehicles spawn here depending on what team is in control

Under US Control:
 * M1A2 Abrams
 * Desert Patrol Vehicle

Under RU Control:
 * T-90
 * VDV Buggy

C: Veteran's Retreat
Veteran’s Retreat (C) is a cluster of three two-story buildings near the coast. Initially the US team holds this control point. Compared to the other US-held control points, this flag is much more defendable but it supplies both teams with only a light vehicle each. Still, every flag is precious and both teams should try to hold onto this one. The flag sits outside the southernmost building and can be captured by both vehicles and infantry. The capture radius is rather large, so infantry inside the nearby building can capture or contest the flag. Defenders positioned in any of the three buildings have a good view of the flag. Placing mines on the road leading into the control point or near the flag is a great way to fend off enemy vehicle attacks. The light vehicle spawned here is great for launching high-speed raids on distant control points like the Hotel (G), City (F) or Construction Site (E). The bridge leading towards the City is dangerous as it can be guarded by snipers and AT gunners easily stopping any assaults on nearby flags and mines may also be scattered on the bridge to stop heavy and light vehicles from moving up.

The following vehicles spawn here depending on what team is in control

Under US Control:
 * Desert Patrol Vehicle

Under RU Control
 * VDV Buggy

D: Beach Landing
The Beach Landing (D) control point is positioned on the US team’s east flank at the start of the battle. But like all other flags on the map, this one is up for grabs. Therefore the US team must make an effort to hold on to this position. Given its distance from other control points, vehicle attacks are the most common, so mines are an effective defensive measure when they are placed near the flag or adjoining road. The Beach Landing spawns an IFV for each team, so it is well worth the effort to attack. Chances are you won’t have to wait long before an enemy moves into view; watch for attacks from the Hotel (G) and Veteran’s Retreat (C).

The following vehicles spawn depending on what team is in control

Under US Control:
 * LAV-25

Under RU Control:
 * BTR-90

E: Construction Site
Like the Construction sites of previous Battlefield games, the focus around this flag would be infantry battle, as there are many buildings and niches that vehicles cannot access, from which infantry can cover the flag effectively. The crane is still there, providing the classic sniping spot. However, climbing it leaves you vulnerable to incoming enemy fire. At the top, it does not provide a good view of the whole map, rather, just the open beach area and clusters of buildings. Player may go to the top of the unfinished builings by the use of aircraft or Radio Beacon. This spot tends to be more favored because it can have a higher or lower elavation than the crane and is harder to reach.

Notably, the Construction site in this game has an accessway for heavy vehicles to roll through to capture the flag, and to roll out again. However, the cramped space and debris cluttered around makes it hard to maneuver and easy to miss out ambushing infantry, meaning it would be very dangerous to capture this flag without infantry support: Tanks and IFVs cannot take care of everyone with an RPG, Anti-Tank Mines or C4.

The following vehicles spawn here depending what team is in control

Under US Control:
 * LAV-25
 * Desert Patrol Vehicle
 * Skid Loader (only on PC)

Under RU Control:
 * BTR-90
 * VDV Buggy
 * Skid Loader (only on PC)

F: City
Like the construction site, the City is a built up area cluttered with debris. While accessible to armoured vehicles, the nature of the fight around here would be a pitched street fight, with infantry capable of effectively exploiting enemy vulnerability.

There are many buildings around this point, meaning infantry, regardless of class, have a plethora of spots to effectively cover the flag, while being exposed only to minimal enemy fire.

Capturing this point will require good infantry support to the armour, as they can clear out the surrounding buildings; the capture area itself is extremely vulnerable to enemy fire, from surrounding buildings.

This point is a useful springboard to B,C, E and G, and is important for that reason.

The following vehicles spawn here depending what team is in control

Under US Control:
 * Desert Patrol Vehicle

Under RU Control:
 * VDV Buggy

G: Hotel
This point spawns a Tank and an IFV for the side holding this point, thus it is a vital point on the map. Sides holding the Hotel would be advised to hold the point and defend it with at least one squad of infantry or at least one armoured vehicle. It is also useful to have engineers handy at the point, as air units and vehicles are constantly buzzing the area, and any launcher would easily find targets. Moreover, engineers can repair any defending vehicles, as well as lay mines. Support and assault units can also cover the area efficiently with their small arms and supplies of explosives.

Attackers would be advised to attempt to flank the Hotel, as there are many walls and places that provide cover. Armoured vehicles would also be handy in any assault on this position. Defending snipers and engineers with Javelins can stay entrenched on the top of the hotel roof after a lengthy ladder climb on the side of the hotel facing away from the city.

The following vehicles spawn here depending what team is in control:

Under US Control:
 * LAV-25
 * M1A2 Abrams

Under RU Control
 * BTR-90
 * T-90

Trivia

 * The Battlefield 3 description of the the map is the exact same as the Battlefield 2 description, but in place of "MEC" is "Russian."
 * In Battlefield 3, there is a radio on the roof of the hotel playing the original MEC Theme music from Battlefield 2. The radio can be found on every Back to Karkand expansion map.
 * The skid loaders are inanimate objects on console. The only other map where they can be used is Wake Island.
 * The cranes used are the same model of those used in Operation Firestorm.
 * The word "Herrbei" can be seen on the cranes in the Battlefield 3 version of Gulf of Oman.
 * The loading theme for the map is the same as Kharg Island's.
 * There is a strange blue flashing on the tarp of the building under construction. It might be just a guy welding something, because, as stated above, it's under construction. (Here is a video of it.)
 * In the house near the City, there are some MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) on a shelf.
 * Although the LAV-25 can travel in water, attempting to drive one into the sea using the peninsula off Veteran's Retreat will cause the LAV to violently bounce off the sea, much as might happen to a launched AAMTRAC.
 * In Battlefield 3, MAV coordinates display it is operating near the Iranian coast northwest of the port city of Jask.

Videos
Video:Battlefield Play4Free - Oman Loading Theme|The loading theme used for Battlefield Play4Free