The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) ( ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei, abbreviation ''TUDB'') is the

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

of the

sultanate This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continui ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

. It is mainly based at the

Rimba Air Force Base 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 F ...

within the

Brunei International Airport Brunei International Airport (BIA) ( Malay: ''Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Brunei''; Jawi: لاڤڠن تربڠ انتارابڠسا بروني ) is the primary and only airport in the sovereign nation of Brunei Darussalam, on the island of Bor ...

.Introduction Royal Brunei Air Force
- Retrieved 21 April 2007 The role of the Royal Brunei Air Force is to defend the national airspace and to provide air surveillance of the land and maritime borders. The Royal Brunei Air Force was formed on 1 October 1991 from the Air Wing of the

Royal Brunei Armed Forces The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); ms, Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB), is the collective term for the military forces of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. They consist of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF), the Royal Brunei ...

. The Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces had operated helicopters (the

Bell 205 The Bell 204 and 205 are the civilian versions of the UH-1 Iroquois single-engine military helicopter of the Huey family of helicopters. They are type-certificated in the transport category and are used in a wide variety of applications, incl ...

) since 1966.

History

The Royal Brunei Air Force was established as the Air Wing of the

Royal Brunei Malay Regiment The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); ms, Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB), is the collective term for the military forces of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. They consist of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF), the Royal Brunei N ...

in 1965. It was first tasked to fly

doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

to rural area with two

Sikorsky S-55 The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom ...

aircraft, which was operated by pilots from the Worldwide Helicopter Company. In 1966, the tasks were taken over by pilots from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

operating three

Westland Whirlwind Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

helicopters.History Royal Brunei Air Force
- Retrieved 21 April 2007 In 1967, the unit was renamed as the Helicopter Platoon and received five Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters. The Air Technical Training School was established in 1980. In 1981, the Second Squadron was established and equipped with six Bolkow BO 105 helicopters. The Third Squadron was established in 1982 and equipped with SIAI-Marchetti SF260s. When Brunei assumed responsibility for its own defence from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1984 the Air Wing was expanded. On 1 October 1991, with the consent of The Sultan, the Air Wing was officially renamed the Royal Brunei Air Force. The Fourth Squadron was established in 1997 and was equipped with the Blackhawk S-70A helicopters. The Fifth Squadron was also established in 1997 and was equipped with a

CN-235 The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engined transport aircraft that was jointly developed by CASA of Spain and Indonesian manufacturer IPTN. It is operated as both a regional airliner and military transport; its primary military roles ...

plane and the Base Defence Squadron. In the same year, the Third Squadron received the Pilatus PC-7 Mark II training aircraft. The Thirty-Eight Squadron was established in 1999 and is equipped with the

Mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Microp ...

surface-to-air missile. In 2019, the RBAirF unveiled the Digital Disruptive Pattern BDU in digital gray colors at the 58th anniversary celebration at the

Bolkiah Garrison Bolkiah Garrison () also sometimes referred to as Bolkiah Camp, is one of the military bases in Mukim Berakas 'A', Bandar Seri Begawan, and serves as the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). Intern ...

. As of 28 August 2020, the commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force is Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim.

Organisation

The Air Force is divided into 7 Wings: The Operation Wing consists of 4 Flying Squadrons and two addition units:Operation Wing Squadrons
- Retrieved 21 April 2007 * No 1 Squadron is equipped with

Bell 212 The Bell 212 (also known as the ''Twin Two-Twelve'') is a two-blade, medium helicopter that first flew in 1968. Originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, production was moved to Mirabel, Quebec, Canada in ...

and

Bell 214 The Bell 214 is a medium-lift helicopter derived from Bell Helicopter's ubiquitous UH-1 Huey series. The Bell 214ST shares the same model number, but is a larger, much-modified twin-engine derivative. Design and development The original dev ...

ST helicopters. The primary roles of the First Squadron are for trooplift, casualty evacuation, medical evacuation, fire suppression, VVIP lift and

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

. * No 2 Squadron is equipped with Bolkow BO 105 helicopters. The primary roles of the Second Squadron are to provide flying doctor, reconnaissance, surveillance, provides close air support, VVIP lift and search and locate services. * No 4 Squadron is equipped with Blackhawk S-70A helicopters. The primary roles of the Fourth Squadron are special combat squadron operation task, trooplift, casualty evacuation, medical evacuation, fire fighting, VVIP lift and

. * No 5 Squadron is equipped with a

aircraft. The primary roles of the fifth Squadron are to provide trooplift, surveillance and search and locate capabilities. * RBAF09 - 3

The Parachute Airborne Tactical Delivery Unit (PATDU) provides jungle rescue team, jungle line resupply, multi rope abseil. The PATDU are also involved in parachute competitions at the regional or international level.Air Regiment Squadrons
- Retrieved 21 April 2007 * The Fire Unit provides cover if any aircraft during an emergency. The Air Regiment consists of 3 Squadrons and Technical Training School: * The 33rd Squadron was formerly known as the Air Battery. The 33rd Squadron is equipped with the

Rapier A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Impor ...

missile launcher. * The 38th Squadron is equipped with the

Mistral missile The Missile Transportable Anti-aérien Léger (English: Transportable lightweight anti-air missile), commonly called Mistral, is a French infrared homing short range air defense system manufactured by MBDA France (formerly by Matra Defence and ...

launcher. * The Base Defence Squadron is responsible for the protection of the Rimba Air Base at the

and any Forward Operating Base. * The Technical Training School is responsible for producing qualified technicians for Air Regiment and organising courses related to Air Regiment. The Logistics Wing consists of three units which are the Engineering Squadron, Supply Squadron and Technical Equipment Maintenance Department (TEMD). The role of the Engineering Squadron is to provide and maintain aircraft serviceability for operational use. The role of Supply Squadron is to provide logistical support and equipment for the personnel. The role of the TEMD is to provide maintenance for the aircraft.Logistics and Training Wing Royal Brunei Air Force
- Retrieved 21 July 2007 The Training Wing consists of the Third Squadron, which is also known as the Flying Training School (FTS), the Air Technical Training School (ATTS) and the Standard and Evaluation Squadron (STANEVAL). The Training Wing is responsible for recruiting and training pilots and technicians, as well as preparing pilot instructor courses and flying standards. The Third Squadron is equipped with

Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progra ...

Jet Ranger helicopters and

Pilatus PC-7 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 ...

Mk 2 aircraft. The Administration Wing consists of the Physical Training Section, Pay Office, Regimental Police, Military Transport and Civilian Office.

Incidents

operated by the air force crashed in

Kuala Belait Kuala Belait (KB; Jawi: ) is the administrative town of Belait District, Brunei. The population of the town proper was 4,259 in 2016. Kuala Belait is officially a municipal area (), as well as a village under the mukim of the same name. The t ...

on 20 July 2012 with the loss of 12 of the 14 crew on board. The cause of the accident has yet to be ascertained. The crash is the worst aviation incident in the history of

Equipments

Ramah Mesra Kuala Belait 21 July 2022 27

Current inventory

Aircraft Weapon Systems

There have been plans to secure fighter capability by purchasing several

BAE Hawk The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and B ...

aircraft, but these plans have been delayed on several occasions. In November 2011, the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

announced that a deal has been secured by Sikorsky to sell 12 UH-60Ms to the Royal Brunei Air Force. The RBAirF is to acquire 3 CN235-220 CASA-IPTN CN 235M aircraft for maritime operations. The

C-130J Super Hercules The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The C-130J is the newest v ...

is expected to be delivered to the RBAirF in 2018. Then RBAirF's commander, Brigadier General Wardi Abdul Latip, stated that the RBAirF was actively working with

aerospace company An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry. ...

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

to purchase the military transport aircraft, with delivery expected in 2018 or 2019. To boost Malaysia's security in eastern Sabah from the threats of militants from the southern Philippines as well as to dispose of older inventory, the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) transferred four of its S-70A Black Hawk to the

Royal Malaysian Air Force The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...

. In 2014 eight

helicopters were retired from service. During Royal Brunei Armed Forces Diamond Jubilee Celebration in 2021, a Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) program was launched by the Sultan of Brunei and a

RQ-21 Blackjack The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, company name Integrator, is an American unmanned air vehicle designed and built by Boeing Insitu to meet a United States Navy requirement for a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS). It is a twin-boom, si ...

model was unveiled by a US company,

Insitu Insitu Inc. is an American company that designs, develops and manufactures unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and has several offices in the United States, the United Kin ...

to the Sultan. This UAS will be used for maritime security surveillance role. RBAF09 - 4

Retired

References

{{Authority control

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Aviation in Brunei

1991 establishments in Brunei