Royal Brunei Armed Forces

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Royal Brunei Armed Forces
Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei
Armed Forces of Brunei Emblem.png
Royal Brunei Armed Forces badge
War Flag of Brunei.svg
Brunei Darussalam Ensign
Founded31 May 1961;62 years ago (1961-05-31), as Brunei Malay Regiment [1]
Current form1 January 1984;40 years ago (1984-01-01) [1]
Service branchesFlag of Royal Brunei Land Forces.svg  Royal Brunei Land Forces
Naval Ensign of Brunei.svg  Royal Brunei Navy
Ensign of the Royal Brunei Air Force.svg  Royal Brunei Air Force
Headquarters Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
Website MinDef.gov.bn
Leadership
Supreme Commander FM Hassanal Bolkiah
Minister of Defence FM Hassanal Bolkiah
Minister of Defence II Halbi Mohd Yussof
Commander MG Haszaimi Bol Hassan
Personnel
Military age18
Conscriptionno
Active personnel7,200 [2]
Reserve personnel700 [2]
Expenditures
BudgetIncrease2.svg$597.67 million BND (2022) [3]
Percent of GDP4.5% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliersFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Related articles
Ranks Military ranks of the Brunei
Ministry of Defence of Brunei headquarters MOD of Brunei.JPG
Ministry of Defence of Brunei headquarters

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); Malay : Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB), [1] is the collective term for all of the military forces or service branches of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. The RBAF consists of three primary military branches; the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF), the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).

Contents

The head of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is the supreme commander, and is held by the Sultan of Brunei, its incumbent is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, holding the rank of field marshal (FM). The RBAF / ABDB are controlled and managed by the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam (MinDef).

The forerunner to the Royal Brunei Armed Forces were formed on 31 May 1961;62 years ago, [1] with British military support; 31 May is annually marked as Armed Forces Day. [4]

Name

Upon inception, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces were originally known as the Brunei Malay Regiment (Askar Melayu Brunei, AMB). On 31 May 1965;58 years ago, the word 'Diraja' (Malay for 'Royal') was added to the title, hence it became known as the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei, AMDB). It finally adopted its current name on 1 January 1984;40 years ago, that is on the day Brunei was granted independence from the United Kingdom. [1]

Organisation

Branches

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces consists of three primary military branches.

Royal Brunei Land Forces

The Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) (Malay : Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei – TDDB), is a brigade sized army formation; it consists of three operational battalions, along with an additional support battalion. The role of the Royal Brunei Land Forces is to maintain the security of Brunei, and to defend the sovereignty of the country. Its main responsibility is to oppose any threat from within or outside the country, and to maintain peace and security in the country. [5] The Royal Brunei Land Forces is the largest of the three armed services of Brunei.

Royal Brunei Navy

The Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) (Malay: Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei – TLDB), is the naval defence force of Brunei Darrussalam. It is a small, but relatively well-equipped force, whose main responsibility is to conduct search and rescue (SAR) missions, and to deter and defend the Brunei sovereign waters against attack mounted by sea-borne forces. [6] Headquartered at Muara Naval Base, as of 2023, the Royal Brunei Navy has an operational inventory of twenty ships or similar surface vessels, the RBN does not operate any submarines or submersibles.

Royal Brunei Air Force

The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) (Malay: Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei – TUDB), is a small, primarily helicopter-based air force, which is tasked with supporting the other branches of the armed services, defending Bruneian air space, and carrying out search and rescue (SAR) operations. It was originally created in 1965;59 years ago, as the Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Malay: Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei – AMDB, the forerunner of today's Royal Brunei Armed Forces, RBAF), and was established as an independent air force; the Royal Brunei Air Force on 1 October 1991;32 years ago. The RBAirF main inventory consists of a range of rotary-wing helicopters; formerly ten Bell 212, four Sikorsky S-70A-14 (now transferred to the Royal Malaysian Air Force), and a solitary Bell 214ST. The Bell 212s were replaced between 2013 and 2015 by twelve Poland-manufactured Sikorsky S-70i Blackhawks [7] [8] Two Bell 206 helicopters are used for rotary-wing training. [8]

The Royal Brunei Air Force fixed-wing inventory is limited to four Swiss-built Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop training aircraft (three of which are also used by the Alap-Alap Formation aerobatic display team), and a solitary CASA/IPTN CN 235-300 Persuader aerial transport aircraft. [9] On 14 July 2014, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces announced plans to order the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules in the near future, [10] though this never materialised. As of 2023, the Royal Brunei Air Force operates twenty manned aircraft [8] and four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Support Services

The former Support Services of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) had the responsibility of providing support services to units within the RBAF, in all aspects pertaining to their administration, security, health, logistics, communication, transportation, and technical equipment service support. The Support Services of the RBAF also worked closely with other units of all service branches in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces to undergo and help co-ordinate military training and operations. As part of the reorganisation of the RBAF, the Support Services was disbanded in early 2009, and its various units were relocated. [11]

Bands

The RBAF Band was established on 31 May 1962;61 years ago, at Port Dickson in Malaysia. It originally had twenty-one members, and was then badged as the regimental band of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. On 1 January 1984;40 years ago, Major Haji Manaf bin Kamis became the first local musician to be appointed Director of Music. Kamis was the judge at a competition which chose the official anthem of ASEAN. Since 2003, the band has been led by Major Awg Jaya bin Metussin. It has participated in events such as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Brunei Darussalam International Tattoo, and the Berlin Military Music Festival. [12] The RBAF Band first participated in the Hari Merdeka celebrations and the Kuala Lumpur International Tattoo in Malaysia in 2007, and has since become a regular participant. [13]

The 2nd and 3rd Battalion Royal Brunei Land Forces Pipes and Drums are also part of the larger RBAF Band, and are more modelled on those of the British Army Brigade of Gurkhas, which station a battalion in rotation in Brunei. Bands are also maintained in the Royal Brunei Navy and the Royal Brunei Air Force.

Affiliated to the RBAF Band is the Band of the Armed Forces Military Cadet Corps.

Training Institute

Training Institute of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces badge Training Institute of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Emblem.png
Training Institute of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces badge

The Training Institute of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is also known as the Military Training Institution. It provides basic military training to all new recruits to the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Other military courses are also offered and conducted in the institution to personnel of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. [14]

Recruitment

Only Bruneian citizens of the Malay ethnicity (Bumiputera) are allowed to enlist in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. [15] The Malay ethnicity comprises the Belait, Bisaya, Brunei, Dusun, Kedayan, Murut, and Tutong indigenous races, as defined in the Constitution of Brunei. [16] Military service is not compulsory for any segment of the population; there is no conscription. Both women and men work in the military.

Cadets

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Military Cadet should not be confused with the RBAF Military Cadets of Higher Institutions (not officially members) despite sharing the same name. The two are visually identified by the uniforms they wear; the old disruptive pattern material (DMP) woodland camouflage for the higher institutions, while the official Military cadets wear multi-scale digital camouflage. [17]

Equipment and operations

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) use a wide range of foreign-procured equipment across all three service branches; with a large percentage originating from the United Kingdom, France/Europe, and the United States of America.

The Bruneian military lacks any recent combat experience, but has been deployed regionally in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. Notably, since 2004, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces have formed part of the peacekeeping mission in Mindanao, the Philippines. [18] Brunei also has extensive military relations with the United Kingdom (the Sultan of Brunei being an honorary air chief marshal of the Royal Air Force and an honorary admiral of the Royal Navy. [19] ) and Singapore.

On 6 May 2023, ten members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces took part in the 6,000-strong royal parade in London, England, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. [20]

31 May is the Armed Forces Day of Brunei, which celebrates the founding of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. It is an annual national holiday, and the events on the day include military parade in front of the Sultan, and public exhibition of its equipment and armament. On 31 May 2011;12 years ago, Royal Brunei Armed Forces celebrated its golden jubilee.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Brunei Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Bruneis military

The Royal Brunei Navy, abbrev: RBN is the naval defence force of Brunei Darussalam. It is a small but relatively well-equipped military force whose main responsibility is to conduct search and rescue missions, and to deter and defend the Brunei waters against attack mounted by seaborne forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Brunei Air Force</span> Aerial warfare branch of Bruneis military

The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. It is headquartered and mainly based at the Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, within the Brunei International Airport (BIA). The role of the Royal Brunei Air Force is to defend the national airspace and to provide air policing and surveillance of its land and maritime borders. As of 2024, the Royal Brunei Air Force operates twenty-two manned aircraft and five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Brunei Land Forces</span> Land service branch of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces

The Royal Brunei Land Forces is the land component of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The RBLF has responsibility for maintaining the territorial defence of Brunei, both from attack from outsiders, and by assisting the Royal Brunei Police in maintaining law and order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alap-Alap Formation</span> Aerobatic display team of Brunei Darussalam

The Alap-Alap Formation is the official aerobatic display team of Brunei Darussalam, operated by the Royal Brunei Air Force. The Alap-Alap Formation display team was formed on 7 February 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BRIDEX</span> Military and security exhibition in Brunei Darussalam

The Brunei Darussalam International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BRIDEX), originally Brunei Darussalam International Defence Exhibition, was a biennial defence and security exhibition and conference held in Negara Brunei Darussalam. Involving all three service branches of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, it started in 2007, and was launched by the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam (MinDef).

The military ranks of Brunei are depicted by the military insignia used by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Given its history of being established with help from the British Army, its rank insignia follow the former British influence with adaptations for Bruneian conditions, the RBAF having started as an infantry regiment, with naval and air assets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halbi bin Mohammad Yussof</span> Bruneian politician

Halbi bin Mohammad Yussof ; born 22 June 1956, is a Bruneian nobleman, military officer and politician who currently serves as a Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II. He is a former member of the Legislative Council of Brunei, and previously served as the Minister of Defence II from 2018 to 2022, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports from 2015 to 2018, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), and Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kampong Sungai Akar</span> Village and neighbourhood in Brunei

Kampong Sungai Akar or commonly known as Sungai Akar, is a village in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, as well as a neighbourhood in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population was 5,467 in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (Brunei)</span> Bruneian government ministry responsible for military and national security

The Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam, officially abbreviated as MinDef, is a cabinet-level ministry of the Government of Brunei. It is responsible for the country's national security and military forces, the latter collectively known as the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB). It is Brunei's ministry of defence; and was established on 1 January 1984, when Brunei Darussalam achieved independence from the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Defence leadership presently consists of a minister ; its incumbent is the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is also the Supreme Commander of the RBAF / ABDB. A deputy minister is second-in-command at the MinDef.

<i>Ijtihad</i>-class patrol boat

The Ijtihad class consists of four fast patrol boats built by Lürssen Werft in Germany, and delivered to Brunei Darussalam in 2009. They patrol the coast of Brunei, and sometimes participate in joint naval exercises. The lead ship in the class is KDB Ijtihad (17).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces</span>

The Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is the professional head of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). He is responsible for the overall management, administration, and the operational control of the entire military of Brunei. The current commander is Major general Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muara Naval Base</span> Naval base of the Royal Brunei Navy

Muara Naval Base is a naval base which serves as the headquarters and main operating base for the Royal Brunei Navy. It is located approximately 4 kilometres from Muara Town, Brunei-Muara District, in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. The naval base sits near the mouth of the Brunei River, which flows into the Brunei Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba</span> Royal Brunei Air Force military airbase in Rimba, Brunei-Muara, Brunei Darussalam

Officially known as Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba,, commonly known as Rimba Air Force Base, occasionally known as Rimba Airbase, and informally abbreviated Rimba AFB; it is the military headquarters and main operating airbase of the Royal Brunei Air Force. It is located near the Bruneian village of Kampong Rimba, opposite, and sharing its main runway of 3,685 metres with the Brunei International Airport (BIA), at Bandar Seri Begawan, in the Brunei-Muara District of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamzah Sahat</span> 11th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces

Hamzah bin Sahat is a retired Bruneian airman and the 11th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) who served in post from September 2020 until his retirement in March 2022. He previously held the position as the 14th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) from 2018 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haszaimi Bol Hassan</span> 12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces

Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan is a Bruneian military officer whom currently holds the position as the 12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) since 2022. He previously held the position of the 11th Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) from 2020 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammad Sharif Ibrahim</span> 15th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force

Mohammad Sharif bin Ibrahim is the current commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) since 28 August 2020. He became the first commanding officer of the Officer Cadet School (OCS), Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), programme manager at the Centre of Science and Technology Research and Development (CSTRAD), and the country's first defence attaché in Washington, D.C., United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahril Anwar</span> 13th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force

Shahril Anwar is a Bruneian military officer who became the 13th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force from 2015 to 2018. Prior to this, he was also the defence attaché of Brunei to Malaysia in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khairul Hamed</span> 10th Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Forces

Khairul Hamed is the 10th Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) from 2018 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolkiah Garrison</span> Military base in Brunei

Bolkiah Garrison also referred to as Bolkiah Camp from its original name, is one of the military bases in Mukim Berakas 'A', Bandar Seri Begawan. It contains the main building for the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam, and is also the headquarters of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. International defence collaborations, meetings and bilateral exercises are planned and considered within this military base.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "RBAF Introduction". MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 The Military Balance 2023 . London, England: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Routledge. 15 February 2023. p. 234. ISBN   978-1032508955.
  3. ↑ Haris, Nabilah; Bandial, Ain (28 February 2022). "MinDef tables $597 million budget to support national security — Minister highlights the RBAF's key role in Brunei's pandemic response". TheScoop.co. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam: The Scoop, Scoop Media. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Berita Parajurit, vol 9" (PDF). MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Royal Brunei Land Forces". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  6. ↑ "Royal Brunei Navy". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  7. ↑ "Black Hawks for Brunei". DefenseIndustryDaily.com. Defense Industry Daily, LLC. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "World Air Forces 2023". FlightGlobal.com. FlightGlobal International, DVV Media International Ltd. 2023. p. 14. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "Royal Brunei Air Force". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  10. ↑ "Brunei to buy military aircraft". BT.com.bn. The Brunei Times. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Royal Brunei Armed Forces Support Services". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Royal Brunei Armed Forces Band - Ministry of Defence". yumpu.com.
  13. ↑ "News". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam.
  14. ↑ "Royal Brunei Armed Forces Training Institute". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 19 July 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  15. ↑ "Military record, Brunei". travel.state.gov. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  16. ↑ "Brunei: the abode of peace". Hawaii.edu. Archived from the original on 13 September 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  17. ↑ "Higher Institutions Military Cadets Battle..." MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam . Retrieved 17 December 2019.[ dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Brunei deploys 16th International Monitoring Team to Mindanao". DFA.gov.ph. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan: Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  19. ↑ The Air Force list, 2006. TSO. 2006. ISBN   0-11-773038-6. OCLC   655307582.
  20. ↑ "Berita Parajurit, vol 9 – His Majesty King Charles III, coronation grand procession" (PDF). MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. 31 May 2023. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 8 January 2024.

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