Royal Brunei Armed Forces
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 Force (RBLF), the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).
| Royal Brunei Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei | |
Royal Brunei Armed Forces badge | |
Brunei Darussalam Ensign | |
| Founded | 31 May 1961, as Brunei Malay Regiment[1] |
| Current form | 1 January 1984[1] |
| Service branches | Royal Brunei Land Force Royal Brunei Navy 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 age | 18 |
| Conscription | no |
| Active personnel | 7,200[2] |
| Reserve personnel | 700[2] |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $597.67 million BND (2022)[3] |
| Percent of GDP | 4.5% (2006) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | Australia Brazil Canada France Germany Indonesia Italy Japan South Korea Netherlands Singapore Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United States |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of the Brunei |
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,[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, 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, 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 Force
The Royal Brunei Land Force (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 Force 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 Force is the largest of the three armed services of Brunei.
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[update], 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, 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. 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[update], 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, 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, 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 Force 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
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, Royal Brunei Armed Forces celebrated its golden jubilee.
See also
- Military forces based in Brunei
- Training Institute Royal Brunei Armed Forces
- Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces
- Military Police Royal Brunei Armed Forces
- Special Forces Regiment
- Royal Brunei Malay Reserve Regiment (RBMRU / ASMDB)[1][2][3][4][5]
- Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council
- Gurkha Reserve Unit
- National Service Programme
References
- ^ a b c d e "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.
- ^ a b The Military Balance 2023. London, England: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Routledge. 15 February 2023. p. 234. ISBN 978-1032508955.
- ^ 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. from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ . MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ . MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ "Black Hawks for Brunei". DefenseIndustryDaily.com. Defense Industry Daily, LLC. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "World Air Forces 2023". FlightGlobal.com. FlightGlobal International, DVV Media International Ltd. 2023. p. 14. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ . MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ . BT.com.bn. The Brunei Times. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ . MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ "Royal Brunei Armed Forces Band - Ministry of Defence". yumpu.com.
- ^ "News". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam.
- ^ . MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Archived from the original on 19 July 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ . travel.state.gov. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ . Hawaii.edu. Archived from the original on 13 September 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ "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]
- ^ "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.
- ^ The Air Force list, 2006. TSO. 2006. ISBN 0-11-773038-6. OCLC 655307582.
- ^ "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.
Further reading
- "Akta Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (Penggal 149)" [Royal Brunei Armed Forces Act (Chapter 149)] (PDF). AGC.gov.bn (in Malay). Attorney General's Chambers, Prime Minister's Office, Brunei Darussalam. 16 December 2013.
- Hussainmiya, Bachamiya Abdul; Mahdini, Waleed (2013). Sarimah Haji Umar (ed.). Pencapaian aan aspirasi : ABDB 1961–2011 dan seterusnya [Journey of accomplishments and aspirations : RBAF 1961-2011 and beyond] (in Malay). Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam: Brunei Press / Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei. OCLC 973874229.
- Menon, K.U. (1987). Ayoob, M. (ed.). "Brunei Darussalam in 1986: in search of the political kingdom". Southeast Asian Affairs. 1987. Singapore: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute: 85–101. doi:10.1355/SEAA87F. JSTOR 27908570.
External links
- MinDef.gov.bn — Ministry of Defence, Brunei, official website
- Defending the Nation's Sovereignty – Defence White Paper 2021 — Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam