Mohammad Sharif bin Ibrahim () is the current

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) since . He became the first

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

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 Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

in Washington, D.C., United States.

Education

Throughout his career, Mohammad Sharif Ibrahim attended several institutes and training overseas including the

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

(RNZAF) Junior Staff Course at the

New Zealand Defence College The New Zealand Command and Staff College (NZCSC) is the premier educational institute for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and is located at Trentham Military Camp, Upper Hutt (near Wellington). The New Zealand Command and Staff College provi ...

, Upper Hutt in 2001, the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom in 2008, the National Defence College, New Delhi, India in 2014, and the Higher Defence Course in Spain in 2016. From 2008 to 2014, he also obtained Master of Arts (MA) in Defence studies from

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

, United Kingdom, and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University, Chennai, India.

Military career

In , he enlisted into the RBAirF and commissioned in February 1994, after finishing the Initial Officer Training at Royal Air Force College Cranwell,

Cranwell Cranwell is a village in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is part of the civil parish of Cranwell and Byard's Leap and is situated approximately north-west from Sleaford and south-east from the city and county town o ...

, United Kingdom. During his time in Cranwell, he attended basic flying training and multi-engine flying, which allowed him to fly the CASA/CN 235 transport aircraft. In 1999, Mohammad Sharif went to Singapore to attend the Flying Instructor's Course, in return be able to instruct pilots in the CASA/CN-235 and

Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft designed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and ni ...

back in Brunei. Mohammad Sharif was appointed as the Director of Intelligence in the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

on 19 March 2018, and later became the Joint Force Commander in the RBAF on 19 April 2019. He succeeded Hamzah Sahat as the 15th commander of the RBAirF on 28 August 2020. The handover ceremony between the two was held at

Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba Officially known as Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, (), commonly known as Rimba Air Force Base (), abbreviated: ', and occasionally known as Rimba Airbase; it is the military headquarters and main operating airbase of the Royal Brunei Air ...

, Bandar Seri Begawan. During the Royal Brunei Air Force's 55th anniversary ceremony parade at the Air Movement Centre (AMC), Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, on 24 June 2021, he made a statement to Borneo Bulletin, Mohammad Sharif oversaw the decommissioning of the RBAirF No. 1 Squadron's entire Bolkow BO105 helicopter fleet after 41 years of service. The retirement ceremony was held at the Air Movement Centre (AMC), Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba on 5 February 2022.

Personal life

Mohammad Sharif is married to Noraidah binti Haji Ibrahim, and together they have two children. In addition, he enjoys running and cycling.

Honours

National

* : **

BRU Order of the Hero of the State of Brunei

— Order of Pahlawan Negara Brunei First Class (PSPNB) – Dato Seri Pahlawan, 15 July 2019 ** BRU Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei

— Order of Setia Negara Brunei Fourth Class (PSB) **

— Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Third Class (SMB) – 19 August 2017 ** Medal for Service to State (Brunei)

— Medal for Service to State (PIKB) ** Sultan's Golden Jubilee Medal (2017)

— Golden Jubilee Medal – 5 October 2017 ** Brunei General Service Medal

— General Service Medal (Armed Forces) **

— Royal Brunei Armed Forces Golden Jubilee Medal – 31 May 2011

Foreign

* , : **

— Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) (PJG) (Meritorious Service Medal (Military) SM(M) – 11 May 2022 ** RSAF Honorary Wings – 11 May 2022

References

{{Authority control Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Bruneian military leaders Royal Brunei Air Force officers Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Alumni of King's College London National Defence College, India alumni