Royal Brunei Navy

The Royal Brunei Navy (Malay: Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei, abbreviated TLDB) is the naval defence force of Brunei Darussalam. It is a small but relatively well-equipped force whose main responsibility is to conduct search and rescue missions and to deter and defend the Brunei waters against attack mounted by sea-borne forces.[1]

This article is about the Royal Navy of Brunei. For other Royal Navies, see Royal Navy (disambiguation).

Royal Brunei Navy
Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei
Founded14 June 1965
CountryBrunei
TypeNavy
Part ofRoyal Brunei Armed Forces
Anniversaries14 June
Websitehttp://www.navy.mindef.gov.bn/Theme/Home.aspx
Commanders
Current
commander		First Admiral Haji Othman bin Haji Suhaili @ Suhaily
Insignia
Naval Ensign

The Royal Brunei Navy was established on 14 June 1965, the second unit created after The Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The RBN is based in Muara, which is situated 4 km from Muara Town with the majority of the crews being Malays. Since 1977, The Royal Brunei Navy has been equipped with missile gun boats and other coastal patrol craft. All the ships names are prefixed KDB as in Kapal Diraja Brunei (Royal Brunei Ship in Malay). The Royal Brunei Navy has been commanded by First Admiral Pg Dato Seri Pahlawan Norazmi Pg Hj Muhammad since 13 March 2015.[1]

History

The Royal Brunei Navy was formed on 14 June 1965, four years after the formation of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. It was initially known as Boat Section of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Its strength was only 18 in number, including one officer from the First Battalion who had attended a basic military course in Malaya in 1961 until 1964. This Boat Section was equipped with a number of aluminium boats, known as Temuai in Malay and Fast Assault Boats (FABs).[2] The role of the Boat Section was solely to provide transportation of infantry elements to the interior of Brunei. As the organisation expanded with the aid of stable economic growth, the Boat Section was renamed the Boat Company in 1966.[2]

The Boat Company received 3 river patrol boats in 1966. These boats were named KDB Bendahara, KDB Maharajalela and KDB Kermaindera. All the ships were crewed by Bruneians, led by a qualified commanding officer. In the same year, the strength of the Boat Company was enhanced with hovercraft vessels type SR.N5, followed by SR.N6 in 1968.[3]

The first fast patrol craft was accepted in 1968 and named KDB Pahlawan. It became the first flagship for the Boat Company.[3]

The Boat Company was reorganised as Angkatan Laut Pertama, Askar Melayu DiRaja Brunei (ALP AMDB or the First Sea Battalion, Royal Brunei Malay Regiment in Malay). It was one of the larger branches of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. During that time, the estimated strength of Angkatan Laut Pertama, Askar Melayu DiRaja Brunei was 42 personnel including an officer, while assets consisted of one fast patrol craft, 3 river patrol boats, 2 hovercraft vessels, fast assault boats, a few long boats and Temuai (aluminium boats).[4]

In 1971, the First Sea Battalion received two more coastal patrol craft, KDB Saleha and KDB Masna.[5]

The First Sea Battalion was reorganised again on 1 October 1991 as the Royal Brunei Navy due to the growth of the armed forces in Brunei after independence from the United Kingdom.[6]

In 2019, the RBN unveiled the Digital Disruptive Pattern BDU in digital blue colors at the 58th anniversary celebration at the Bolkiah Garrison.[7]

Roles and organisation

The roles of the Royal Brunei Navy are:

  • Deterrence against attack mounted by sea borne forces
  • Protection of national offshore resources
  • Maintaining Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC)
  • Surveillance of the 200 nm EEZ
  • Maritime Search & Rescue operations
  • Support of units of the RBAF operational activities
  • Provide support for other security agencies and ministries as ordered by Ministry of Defence of Brunei.

The Royal Brunei Navy is divided into four main components as follows:[8]

  • Fleet
  • Administration
  • Training
  • Logistics

Current and past fleet

The current fleet of the Royal Brunei Navy is as follows:[9][10]

Class or name Image Builder Type Year entered serviceDetails Ships
Darussalam class[11] Lürssen Werft, Bremen-Vegesack,

 Germany

 Offshore patrol vessel 2011-2014

(Active)

 80-meter (260 ft) OPV ordered from Lürssen Werft.

Armament :

06 Darussalam
07 Darulehsan
08 Darulaman
09 Daruttaqwa
Itjihad class[12]
Lürssen Werft, Bremen-Vegesack,  Germany Inshore patrol vessel 2010

(Active)

 41-meter (135 ft) PV ordered from Lürssen Werft.

Armament :

  • 1 x Rheinmetall MLG 27 mm gun
  • 2 x 7.62 mm machine gun
 17 Itjihad
18 Berkat
19 Syafaat
20 Afiat
Mustaed class[13]
Marinteknik Shipyard Tuas,

 Singapore

 Fast attack craft 2011

(Active)

 27-meter (89 ft) FAC based on Lürssen Werft FIB25-012 design. Built in Singapore.

Armament :

  • 2 x 7.62 mm machine gun.
 21 Mustaed
Waspada class[14]
Vosper Thornycroft,  Singapore Fast attack craft 1978–1979

(Active)

 37-meter (121 ft) FAC ordered from Vosper Thornycroft. Total of 3 ships. 1 in Brunei service and 2 donated to Indonesia.

Armament :

P02 Waspada

(Indonesia)

P03 Pejuang

(Indonesia)

P04 Seteria

Serasa class
Transfield Shipbuilding, Henderson,

 Australia

 Amphibious warfare craft (LCM) 1996

(Active)

 Armament :
  • 2 x 20 mm/90 calibre Oerlikon GAM B01 AA *
  • 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns
 L33

Serasa
L34 Teraban

Damuan class
Cheverton Workboats, Cowes

 England

 Landing craft utility 1976-1977

(Active)

 Unarmed and carries 30 tons of cargo L31 Damuam
L32

Puni

KH-27 class[15]
 Brunei Inshore Patrol boat 2018

(Active)

 Armament :
  • 3 x 7.62 mm machine gun
 BT01-TD

BT02-TD

BT03-TD

BT04-TD

BT05-TD

14.5-metre class
Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering,  Singapore Inshore Patrol boat 1987

(Active)

 Used by Marine Police.

Armament :

  • 7.62 mm machine guns
 PDB11
PDB12
PDB13
PDB14
PDB15
PDB63
PDB68
PDB 0-1 class
Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering,  Singapore Inshore Patrol boat 1987

(Active)

 Used by Marine Police PDB01
PDB02
PDB03
PDB04
PDB05
PDB06
PDB07
PDB08
PDB09
PDB10
PDB11
YFL Cheverton Boatworks, Cowes,  England Support launch 1982

(Active)

 Used as tug and dive tender Burong Nuri
FDB 512 class[16]
Rotork Marine, Bath, Somerset

 England

 Inshore Patrol boat 1978

(Inactive)

 Armament :
  • 7.62 mm machine guns
 S24 Behagia
S26 Selmat
Bendeharu class
PT Pal Batam Shipbuilder, Surabaya,  Indonesia Inshore Patrol boat 1966

(Inactive)

 Used by Marine Police.

Armament :

  • 12.7 mm machine guns
 P21

Benderharu
P22 Maharajalela
P23 Kemaindera

Perwira class Vosper Thornycroft, Portsmouth,  England Inshore patrol boat 1974-1975

(Inactive)

 Singapore-built variant of Malaysian PX class police boats. 1 ship decommissioned in 1996.

Armament :

  • 1 x 20 mm BMARC-Oerlikon B01 AA
  • 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns
 P14

Perwira
P15

Penyerang

P16 Pemburu

Saleha class[17]
Vosper Thornycroft, Portsmouth,  England Inshore Patrol boat 1971

(Inactive)

 Armament :
  • 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns
 P11

Saleha

P12

Masna

Pahlawan class[18]
Vosper & Company, Portchester,  England Fast Attack Craft 1966

(Inactive)

 Armament :
  • 1 x Mk.38 Mod 2.25mm gun
 P01

Pahlawan

Saunders Roe class
Westland,  England Hovercraft 1966-1968

(Inactive)

 Unarmed SR.N5

SR.N6

Others
  • Personnel launches used for riverine patrols
    • 01 Aman
    • 02 Damai
    • 04 Sentosa
    • 06 Sejahteru

Fisheries and Industry/Primary Resources ministries also operate 16m patrol boats built by Syarikat Cheoy Lee Shipyards (delivered 2002)

Historical equipments

Pahlawan-class patrol boat
    • KDB Pahlawan P-01 (Brunei’s first Patrol Boat)
    • KDB Bakti

F2000 (Nakhoda Ragam-class) corvettes
Main article: Bung Tomo-class corvette
KDB Nakhoda Ragam (28) on the River Clyde on 14 July 2007.

The Royal Brunei Navy is currently undergoing a large-scale modernisation, with the upgrading of the Muara Naval Base and the purchase of 3 British-built corvettes from BAE Systems Naval Ships, Scotland. The contract was awarded to GEC-Marconi in 1995 and the Nakhoda Ragam class OPVs were launched in January 2001, June 2001 and June 2002 at the then BAE Systems Marine yard at Scotstoun. These have been completed but have not been delivered from BAE Systems Naval Ships in Scotstoun due to claims by the Royal Brunei Navy that the ships fail to meet the required specifications.

The ships are armed with MBDA Exocet Block II anti-ship missiles and MBDA Seawolf surface-to-air missiles. The contract dispute is the subject of arbitration.[19][20] Currently the Sultan of Brunei is intending to sell three corvettes built by BAE Systems for £600 million. When the dispute was settled, the vessels were handed over to Royal Brunei Technical Services in June 2007.[21] In 2007, Brunei contracted the German Lürssen ship yard to find a new customer for the three ships, as of 3 May 2011 the vessels remain unsold and laid up at Barrow-in-Furness.[22]

These ships have been purchased by the Indonesian Navy and renamed the Bung Tomo class.

Nakhoda Ragam-class Corvettes
Pennant Number Name Builder Launched Commissioned Status
28 (358) KDB Nakhoda Ragam

KRI John Lie

 BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun,  Scotland 13 January 2001 18 July 2014 Commissioned

(Indonesia)

29 (359) KDB Bendahara Sakam

KRI Usman Harun

 BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun,  Scotland 23 January 2001 18 July 2014 Commissioned

(Indonesia)

30 (357) KDB Jerambak

KRI Bung Tomo

 BAE Systems Marine, Scotstoun,  Scotland 22 June 2002 11 July 2014 Commissioned

(Indonesia)

Muara Naval Base

The administration of First Sea Battalion moved to a new base at Jalan Tanjong Pelumpong Muara in 1974. This base is now known as the Muara Naval Base. The Muara Naval Base serves as the headquarters of the Royal Brunei Navy. It was expanded in 1997 to include facilities to support three offshore support vessels.[23]

Muara Naval Base is frequently visited by foreign warships, most notable are the frequent visits by British Royal Navy ships. Persekutuan Pengakap Negara Brunei Darussalam visits the Naval base sometimes too.

Joint exercises and training

The Royal Brunei Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy co-operate with each other through an annual joint exercise, code-named Exercise Pelican.

Officers and soldiers of the Royal Brunei Navy are also sent overseas for advanced training, generally to Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and United States of America.[24]

Exercise SEAGULL 03-07, which was held in Brunei from 2 to 10 September 2007 between the Royal Brunei Navy and their Philippine Navy counterparts. Participating ships include the Philippine Navy corvette BRP Rizal (PS-74) and patrol gunboat BRP Federico Martir (PG-385), and Royal Brunei Navy ships KDB Pejuang P03, KDB Seteria P04, KDB Perwira P14 and KDB Penyerang P16. They conducted series of drills, including Mine Clearance, Under Water Operations, Replenishment at Sea, Night Encounter Exercise, Boarding Exercise and Other Naval Tactical Exercises.[25]

Museum

KDB Maharajalela (P-22) is on display at Muzium Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei or Royal Brunei Armed Forces Museum, Bandar Seri Begawan.[26]

Future orders

De-commissioned landing craft will be replaced by an as-yet-unidentified class of six heavy landing craft.[27]

See also

Notes
  1. Introduction - Royal Brunei Navy - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  2. History - Royal Brunei Navy - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  3. History - Royal Brunei Navy, page 2 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  4. History - Royal Brunei Navy, page 3 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  5. History - Royal Brunei Navy, page 4 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  6. History - Royal Brunei Navy, page 5 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  7. http://modasys.net/3g/index.php/news-events/around-brunei/local-news/36290-rbaf-debuts-new-military-uniforms-2019.html
  8. Organisation - Royal Brunei Navy - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  9. Fleet - Royal Brunei Navy - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  10. [The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World - Eric Wertheim - 15th Ed. 2007, p66-68]
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20141214165305/http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2014/09/09/hrh-commissions-new-ship
  12. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/brunei/navy.htm
  13. http://navaltoday.com/2011/11/28/royal-burnei-navy-commissions-fast-interceptor-boat-kdb-mustaed/
  14. http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2011/02/26/indonesia-get-brunei-patrol-ships
  15. Guan, Tan Wee (21 April 2018). "RBLF receives patrol boats for search, rescue ops". Asia News Network. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  16. "Sea Truck". Vads. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  17. "Remembering Brunei's Naval Ships". www.asiaone.com. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  18. "MINDEF - RB Navy History". www.mindef.gov.bn. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  19. Brunei and BAE Systems dispute ship acceptance Jane's 26 April 2005 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  20. BAE Systems, Brunei OPV dispute nears resolution Jane's 8 September 2006 - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  21. "Shipyard deadlock ends". September 2007 News. Ships Monthly. September 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2007.
  22. Story by ocnus.net
  23. page 15 GHD Annual Review 2002/2003 Archived 9 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  24. Training - Royal Brunei Navy - Retrieved 19 April 2007
  25. Philippine Fleet Official Website. Exercise SEAGULL 03-07.
  26. "Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Museum (Bandar Seri Begawan) - 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  27. Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy#cite note-WewakDODdecom-11
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