Philippines, Brunei leaders view S. Korea's FA-50 fighter jet

Philippines, Brunei leaders view S. Korea's FA-50 fighter jet

Yonhap
The leaders of the Philippines and Brunei on Friday took a look at a South Korean indigenous fighter jet specially displayed for them at an air base in this southeastern port city, the Air Force said. President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines and Brunei's leader Hassanal Bolkiah were briefed on the FA-50's capacity ahead of their departure from Busan on Friday, it said.

The visit was made at the request of the two leaders, military officers said. For the occasion, the light fighter plane flew from an air base in Wonju, some 132 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday.
The FA-50 is a light attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer that was co-developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin. It is the most advanced variant of the T-50 family operated by the South Korean Air Force.

The two leaders are among 10 political leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who visited Busan to attend a two-day commemorative summit with South Korean President Park Geun-hye that was wrapped up earlier in the day.In March, South Korea signed a US$420 million contract to export 12 FA-50 fighter jets to the Philippines under a government-to-government deal as part of their moves to expand defense cooperation.

The contract is widely expected to boost the KAI's overseas bid for T-50 family jets, following deals with Iraq in December and Indonesia in 2011.For Brunei, its top envoy to Seoul showed an interest in the plane last month when he visited the headquarters of KAI in Sacheon, about 437 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on the occasion of a foreign ministry event for foreign ambassadors in Seoul, according to sources.KAI is currently competing with rivals to win Peru's next generation light attack aircraft competition by offering its FA-50 supersonic jets.

Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) joins Seagull Exercise

Photo - Mindef Brunei

The Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) will be participating in an exercise code-named SEAGULL.
This year’s exercise will be the sixth series and hosted by the Philippine Navy (PN) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Island, Republic of Philippine.This exercise is scheduled to commence on the 10th until 15th November 2014. RBN vessels that will partake in the biennial exercise this year are Patrol Vessel KDB DARUTTAQWA and Fast Patrol Boat KDB SYAFAAT.

The vessels are commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (L) Khairil bin Haji Abdul Rahman and Major (L) Pg Mohd Fahmy bin Pg Haji Mohd Sallehuddin respectively, with a total complement of 95 personnel, including officers, crew, one section of the Naval Surface Action Group (NSAG) and attachments. Also joining the deployment is the Sub-Lieutenant course, consisting of 10 course participants and three instructors.This is a significant achievement for RBN as this will be the first time an RBN vessel invites course participants to join them onboard for deployment. In hopes of gaining professional knowledge, the Sub-Lieutenant course participants will cover mostly on Coastal and Astro Navigation.Among those in attendance during the departure ceremony were First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, Commander of RBN. Also present were Colonel (L) Pg Norazmi bin Pg Haji Muhammad, Deputy Commander of RBN, Lieutenant Colonel (L) Yusuf bin Masron, Fleet Commander, RBN senior officers, officers and men, as well as family members of the deployed personnel.

To bless the farewell ceremony, a Doa Selamat was recited by LCpl Mohd Norhadi bin Harun from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Religious Department. With the participation of RBN in Exercise SEAGULL 06/14 it provides an opportunity for both navies to strengthen its relationship and enhance mutual co-operation on common security concerns. This exercise will also set a historical milestone for KDB DARUTTAQWA as this will be her first bilateral exercise as well as deployment eversince her commissioning on 8th September 2014.

US clears way for Brunei purchase of Lockheed C-130J

The US State Department has approved the possible sale of a Lockheed Martin C-130J and six engines to the government of Brunei.Brunei requested clearance to purchase one C-130J and six Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 engines – four installed and two spares ‑ along with equipment, spare parts and training and logistical support for a total $343 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 7 October. DSCA delivered the necessary certification to Congress for approval on 6 October.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Brunei relationship, which has been a force for regional stability and economic progress in Southeast Asia,” DSCA says. “The aircraft will enable Brunei to provide aid and assistance in greater capacities to regional allies and partners in need. Brunei should have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its inventory.”The country has been considering the purchase of a C-130J since at least 2005, when an example conducted flight demonstrations there following the Aero India air show. Other maritime patrol aircraft being considered at the time included the ATR 42, Bombardier Dash 8, the Airbus CN-235 and C-295, Beech 1900D and Saab 2000, according to reports.

Brunei proposes to use the aircraft in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. It will also be operated in support of maritime patrol and search-and-rescue missions, DSCA says.

Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) Signs Aviation Training Contract

BAE Systems press release

CT-4 basic training aircraft (photo : Australian Aviation)

BAE Systems has been training RBAF pilots since 2009, when two students started basic flying training (BFT). The relationship has deepened, with the RBAF putting students through our other training packages, including basic helicopter, multi-engine and instructor training. During the past five years, RBAF students have graduated from 10 different military aviation courses offered at our Flight Training Tamworth academy in NSW.

The contract was signed on behalf of the RBAF by Air Force Deputy Commander Colonel Hamzah Sahat and the Commanding Officer 63 Sqn, Major Azmie Iskandar Ariffin, who visited Flight Training Tamworth, as well as the Company’s Williamtown, NSW, facility.

The RBAF is one of several international Defence force customers for BAE Systems’ military aviation training at Tamworth. The Company also provides air grading for the Republic of Singapore Air Force, CASA qualification training for the Republic of Singapore flying instructors and flight training for Papua New Guinea Defence Force pilots and flying instructors.

http://www.baesystems.com/article/BAES_167887/royal-brunei-air-force-signs-aviation-training-contract?_afrLoop=1283098753136000&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D1283098753136000%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D11il7c0bq_4

Singapore and Brunei Conclude Bilateral Army Exercise

Photo : Mindef Singapore

The armies of Singapore and Brunei concluded an eight-day bilateral exercise code-named Maju Bersama today. Chief of Army Brigadier-General Perry Lim and Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF) Brigadier-General Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Yussof bin Haji Abdul Rahman officiated at the closing ceremony of the exercise this morning.The exercise, conducted from 7 to 14 May 2014, involved about 400 personnel from 1st Battalion Singapore Guards and 1st Battalion RBLF. The exercise included a combined planning and field exercise as well as urban operations training and live-firing.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Exercise Maju Bersama. Inaugurated in 1995, the exercise underscores the close and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and Brunei. The Singapore Army and the RBLF interact regularly through other bilateral exercises, visits and professional exchanges, which have fostered mutual understanding and enhanced interoperability between the two armies.



http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/press_room/official_releases/nr/2014/may/14may14_nr.html#.U3b5CvmSy0I

39% Hike for Brunei Defence Budget

BRUNEI’S defence budget is expected to rise by 39 per cent in the upcoming fiscal year with a significant portion allocated for its special expenditure.According to the Second Finance Minister during the 10th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday, a total budget of $719,150,770 has been proposed for the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) for the 2014/2015 fiscal year, an increase of $203,112,100 from the previous year.

A large portion in spending (31.8 per cent) will go towards special expenditure, while the previous year only incurred nine per cent of the budget.Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Hj Ibrahim also announced that provisions for security and defence under the Ministry of Finance will be transferred and included into the special expenditure for MinDef.

“This is to ensure accountability in the management of spending and implementation of projects,” he explained.As much as $183,593,900 will be included in the special expenditure to support the replacement and upgrade of old assets that have reached the end of their life span, as well as to finance the acquisition of new assets in reducing the defence capability gap.

Meanwhile, the bulk of defence spending (44.6 per cent) will be allocated for payroll with a rise of 5.8 per cent from the previous year.The larger payroll was due to annual salary increments as well as promotions to higher appointment levels within the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) as a whole and in phases, following the introduction of the Career Service Salary Increase Scheme Structure and the recruitment of more military officers.

Recurring expenses (23.6 per cent) are also slated to increase by one per cent to meet the maintenance costs of growing assets in line with the current operating profile and readiness of the armed forces.“The provisions allocated hope to ensure the sustainability of national defence and preparedness,” said the minister.