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Royal Brunei Armed Forces

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Royal Brunei Armed Forces
Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei
Royal Brunei Armed Forces badge
Brunei Darussalam Ensign
Founded31 May 1961; 63 years ago (1961-05-31), as Brunei Malay Regiment[1]
Current form1 January 1984; 40 years ago (1984-01-01)[1]
Service branches Royal Brunei Land Force
 Royal Brunei Navy
 Royal Brunei Air Force
HeadquartersBolkiah Garrison, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
WebsiteMinDef.gov.bn
Leadership
Supreme CommanderFM Hassanal Bolkiah
Minister of DefenceFM Hassanal Bolkiah
Minister of Defence IIHalbi Mohd Yussof
CommanderMG Haszaimi Bol Hassan
Personnel
Military age18 and over
Conscriptionno, voluntary service
Available for
military service		108,356 males, age 16 to 49,
110,153 females, age 16 to 49
Fit for
military service		92,543 males, age 16 to 49,
95,301 females, age 16 to 49
Reaching military
age annually		3,460 males,
3,399 females
Active personnel7,200 (ranked 138th)
Reserve personnel700
Expenditure
BudgetB$ 436.76 million
Percent of GDP4.5% (2006)
Industry
Foreign suppliers Australia
 Brazil
 Canada
 France
 Germany
 Indonesia
 Italy
 Japan
 North Korea
 South Korea
 Netherlands
 Russia
 Singapore
 South Africa
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Taiwan
 United Kingdom
 United States
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of the Brunei
Ministry of Defence of Brunei

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); Malay: Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB),[1] is the collective term for all of the military forces 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).

The head of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is the supreme commander, and is held by the Sultan of Brunei, and the incumbent is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. They are managed under the Ministry of Defence of Brunei.

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces were formed on 31 May 1961; 63 years ago (1961-05-31),[1] with British support; this date is annually marked as Armed Forces Day.

Name

Upon inception, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces were originally known as the Brunei Malay Regiment (Askar Melayu Brunei, AMB). On 31 May 1965; 59 years ago (1965-05-31), 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 (1984-01-01), that is on the day Brunei proclaimed independence from the United Kingdom.[1]

Organisation

Branches

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

Royal Brunei Land Forces

Main article: Royal Brunei Land Forces

The Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) (Malay: Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei – TDDB), is a brigade sized army formation which consists of three operational battalions and a 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.[2] The Royal Brunei Land Forces is the largest of the three armed services of Brunei.

Royal Brunei Navy

Main article: 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.[3] The Royal Brunei Navy has an operating inventory of 36 ships or similar vessels.

Royal Brunei Air Force

Main article: 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 operations. It was originally created in 1965; 59 years ago (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; 32 years ago (1991-10-01). It consists of a range of 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[4]

The Royal Brunei Air Force fixed-wing inventory is limited to four Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II training aircraft and a solitary CASA/IPTN CN-235 transport aircraft.[5] 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.[6] On 7 October 2014, Brunei purchased a single C-130J with spare parts and logistic support for 343 million dollars.[citation needed] As of 2023, the Royal Brunei Air Force operates twenty manned aircraft[7] and four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Support Services

The Support Services of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces had the responsibility of providing support services to units in the RBAF in all aspects pertaining to their administration, security, health, logistics, communication, transportation, and technical equipment service support to all units in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The Support Services of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces also worked closely with other units 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.[8]

Bands

The RBAF Band was established on 31 May 1962; 62 years ago (1962-05-31), at Port Dickson in Malaysia. It originally had 21 members, and was then badged as the regimental band of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. On 1 January 1984; 40 years ago (1984-01-01), 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, it 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.[9] 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.[10]

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 Navy and the 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

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.[11]

Recruitment

Only Brunei citizens of the Malay ethnicity (Bumiputera) are allowed to enlist in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.[12] The Malay ethnicity comprises the Belait, Bisaya, Brunei, Dusun, Kedayan, Murut, and Tutong indigenous races, as defined in the Brunei constitution.[13] Military service is not compulsory for any segment of the population; there is no conscription. Both women and men work in the military.

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. They could be identified by the uniforms they are wearing (the old woodland camouflage for the higher institutions, while the official Military cadets wear digital camouflage).[14]

Miscellaneous

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) use a wide range of foreign equipment, 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.[15] Brunei also has extensive military relations with Singapore.

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

References

  1. ^ 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. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Black Hawks for Brunei". DefenseIndustryDaily.com. Defense Industry Daily, LLC. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "World Air Forces 2023". FlightGlobal.com. FlightGlobal International, DVV Media International Ltd. 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Royal Brunei Armed Forces Band - Ministry of Defence". yumpu.com.
  10. ^ "News". MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Military record, Brunei". travel.state.gov. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  13. ^ "Brunei: the abode of peace". Hawaii.edu. Archived from the original on 13 September 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  14. ^ "Higher Institutions Military Cadets Battle..." MinDef.gov.bn. Defence Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 17 December 2019. [dead link]
  15. ^ "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.

Further reading

  • Hussainmiya, B.A. (Bachamiya Abdul); Waleed Mahdini (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.
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