Overview
U.S. defense industry firms have ahistory of supplying the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) with defense equipment, after-sales support services, and training packages. RBAF is an all-volunteer force of nearly 8,000 service members. The RBAF relies primarily upon helicopters to deploy its forces for border security, to perform coastal surveillance missions, disaster response missions, and for law enforcement support. The Air Force possesses one troop transport fixed-wing plane, flight training aircraft, several rotary-wing aircraft, and a nascent UAS capability. In 2011, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation signed a deal with Brunei for 12 Blackhawk S-70i helicopters. Brunei’s naval capabilities are focused on Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) security, domain awareness, and offshore oil facility protection.
Opportunities
U.S. defense contractors may discover equipment, training, and other defense-related opportunities, particularly in support of Brunei’s 2021 Defense White Paper goals and objectives. Border security and surveillance, air defense platforms, maritime domain awareness, regional disaster response, domestic emergency preparedness, and cyber-defense are among Brunei’s priority efforts. Brunei places emphasis on the importance of science and technology and command and control abilities to leverage the effectiveness of its relatively small armed forces.
Brunei is also seeking to increase its border and maritime defense capacity through improved regional military coordination and cooperation with its neighbors during various bilateral and multilateral interoperability engagements.
To enable these capacities, Brunei has stated its intent to acquire new defense equipment, including surface/maritime surveillance radar, airspace surveillance platforms, maritime patrol aircraft, fixed-wing transport aircraft, medium-range air defense systems, and related assets. Military services may also be interested in non-lethal equipment, which may be procured through vendors registered with the Ministry of Defense.
Centre of Science and Technology Research and Development (CSTRAD) and Brunei Engineering, Logistics and Training Solutions (BELTS) are responsible for the assessment and selection of defense technology solutions for RBAF. CSTRAD oversees Brunei’s defense modernization efforts, advises the Ministry of Defense on science and technology matters, and supervises the transparency and timeliness of the defense-related acquisition process.
Brunei Government Resources
Brunei Engineering, Logistics and Training Solutions (BELTS)
Centre of Science and Technology Research and Development (CSTRAD)
Brunei Ministry of Defense – Defense White Paper 2021
For more information on procurement opportunities, contact:
U.S. Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Phone: (673)-238-7400