| Hakim Hayat |
DEFENCE diplomacy remains at the core of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces’ (RBAF) strategy in resolving maritime conflicts that have seen a few flashpoints recently, the Deputy Minister of Defence First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit said.
In a special interview with the Bulletin on the occasion of the RBAF’s 56th anniversary this year, the deputy minister noted that Brunei Darussalam has always been seen by its counterparts as a champion and mediator to resolve disputes and prevent conflicts through constant communication.
“Such maritime tensions will continue to be a political issue which for Brunei Darussalam is best dealt with consultations. The best way for RBAF is to look for opportunities to enhance practical cooperation that can further enhance trust building among claimants as well as addressing the more pressing non-traditional security threats,” he said.
The deputy minister was answering a question on the RBAF’s role in diffusing such tensions in the region. “Peace, security and stability of our maritime domain is paramount to collective well-being and hence should not be compromised,” he stressed while highlighting several measures and initiatives the Ministry of Defence and RBAF have taken to prevent and defuse misunderstanding and promote quick response.
Brunei Darussalam initiated the establishment of Asean Direct Communication Link or Infrastructure under the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Framework and also co-chaired the ADMM-Plus EWG on Maritime Security with New Zealand during the last 2014-2016 cycle which aimed at developing more effective defence and military response to maritime strategic challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, identifying regional military security challenges and enhancing maritime cooperation and wider information sharing.
The deputy minister reiterated Brunei’s full commitment to maintaining peace and security in the region through practical cooperation initiatives. “The best way to achieve this is to continue to reaffirm our key memberships in organisations such as Asean, ADMM, ADMM-Plus as well as platforms such as the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. Because through such collaborations come the confidence and trust building initiatives such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) which brings great value to promote peace, stability and especially cooperation,” he said.
He also pointed out that it must always be remembered that the Ministry of Defence and the RBAF remain constantly guided by Brunei’s foreign policies, highlighting that they work very closely together with colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT).
Deputy Minister of Defence First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit. – MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Development of RBAF and its personnel 56 years on
As the RBAF celebrates its 56th anniversary this year, the deputy minister said that since achieving independence in 1984, the country has witnessed significant development of the RBAF, from merely a growing force into what is now a force of considerable presence and capability.
“We are so blessed by Allah the Almighty that the country is constantly at a state of peace and tranquillity, and under the leadership and wisdom of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the RBAF, the RBAF has reached the maturity age with a number of significant achievements gained along the way since its formation in 1961,” he said.
He said one significant achievement today would be in the field of education and development of its personnel through the recruitment of officers with high quality and diverse academic backgrounds.
“This has given a boost for RBAF with educated and credible armed forces. With the visionary generation that can carry out their roles and duties towards helping the nation’s development, they are envisioned to become the backbone of the defence institution, and thus would be able to support the country’s aspirations to produce a reliable, robust and resource-efficient armed forces,” he added.
The deputy minister said His Majesty has constantly stressed the importance of effective leadership and places significant emphasis for the recognition of leadership positions among the RBAF personnel. “This was made very clear when the commanders of the Royal Brunei Land Force, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force and the Joint Force Commander were upgraded to be of a one-star rank (Brigadier General and First Admiral). This was also in line with the upgrading and restructuring of the services which took place around the same time,” he noted.
Progress in defence capabilities
In terms of defence capabilities, the deputy minister shared that the RBAF has achieved significant progress over the years, especially through the realisation of its capability delivery plan part of which has now successfully been implemented.
“This includes the upgrade of the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) fleet and its capabilities from coastal patrol to offshore patrol capable and ocean going ships. The Royal Brunei Air Force also saw the introduction into service of 12 Blackhawk S70i helicopters in 2013. These multi-purpose helicopters fulfil the role of the Medium Lift Helicopter Bell 212 helicopters that were decommissioned in August 2014,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that efforts towards restructuring and improving the level of preparedness is critical for the RBAF and on December 14, 2007 saw the significant formation of the Joint Force Headquarters and Joint Operations Centre.
“The RBAF has also evolved into a network enabled force with significant developments through the essential acquisitions of the Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) and Combat Net Radio (CNR) systems, both signed in 2008.
“Focusing on personnel development, to further optimise technology and nurture a highly skilled workforce, new institutions were also set up including the Centre of Science and Technology Research and Development (CSTRAD), Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (SHHBIDSS), Defence Academy which houses the RBAF Command and Staff College, Leadership and Management Centre and the Officer Cadet School,” he noted.
However, the deputy minister said that “this focus is not just limited to education and training as the core values of the RBAF; Loyalty, Taqwa, Courage and Professionalism as well as enhancing the spiritual guidance of the personnel are also of great importance. These core values are in line with our Malay Islamic Monarchy philosophy, and hence leading to a significant religious initiative that was created with the establishment of the RBAF Religious Department (JAMA’AT) on April 1, 2005”.
Other components that were established for nurturing the ‘soft’ values of the RBAF personnel are the Counselling Centre and its Military Legal Unit. Each has its own specific roles within the holistic approach towards personnel management and development, he shared.
Another significant progress is the development of female members of the RBAF, the deputy minister said, noting their remarkable achievements in their careers that span from helicopter pilots, ship’s captain, medical doctors, dentists to training instructors. “This is leaps and bounds from how we saw women in service a decade ago.”
“We are very pleased with the ability of the RBAF in its commitment to take up various international and regional missions, especially those under the ADMM and ADMM-Plus activities and cooperation as well as those under United Nations-related tasking, the deputy minister said, adding that these missions include the RBAF’s involvement in Peacekeeping Operations and Peace Monitoring Missions abroad as depicted in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and regionally in the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in southern Philippines.”
Further afield, in May 2015 the RBAF worked in collaboration with the Singapore Armed Forces, providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) by sending a medical team comprising the personnel of the RBAF and the Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) to Nepal after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country.
Asked about plans to upgrade Brunei’s defence capabilities and procuring new equipments, the deputy minister said that under the current economic situation, to improve the level of preparedness and readiness, planning and prioritisation for long-term capability development must continue and to be implemented at a time where planned budget has been allocated.
He said this may involve short-term reprioritisation, adjustment and extension of delivery milestones where deemed necessary. “A review of the capability plan timeline will have to be undertaken iteratively alongside budgetary allocation. At the same time, RBAF must be innovative in ensuring short-term potential gaps are mitigated. Where appropriate, it should extend the service life of assets, practice obsolescence management, optimisation of resources and continue developing our forces with current and future technologies to develop the capacity, human resources and readiness of the RBAF as a whole.”
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