Military of Brunei
| Royal Brunei Armed Forces Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei |
|
|---|---|
 |
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| Founded | 31 May 1961 |
| Current form | 1 January 1984 |
| Service branches |
Royal Brunei Land Forces Royal Brunei Air Force Royal Brunei Navy Training Institute |
| Headquarters | Bolkiah Garrison |
| Leadership | |
| Supreme Commander | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah |
| Minister of Defence | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah |
| Chief of Defense | Major General Mohammad Tawih Abdullah |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 and over |
| Available for military service |
108,356 males, age 16-49, 110,153 females, age 16-49 |
| Fit for military service |
92,543 males, age 16-49, 95,301 females, age 16-49 |
| Reaching military age annually |
3,460 males, 3,399 females |
| Expenditures | |
| Percent of GDP | 4.5% (2006) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |
 Australia Belgium Canada France Germany Indonesia Italy Netherlands Singapore Sweden United Kingdom United States
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The Royal Brunei Armed Forces was formed on 31 May 1961. Known as the Askar Melayu Brunei, (Brunei Malay Regiment in Malay) it was honoured with the royal title on 31 May 1965, when the word 'Diraja' (Royal in Malay) was added to the title. It was then known as Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei, (Royal Brunei Malay Regiment). Since Independence Day, 1 January 1984, the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment has been renamed as the Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (Royal Brunei Armed Forces in Malay).
Only Brunei citizens of the Malay ethnicity (Bumiputera) are allowed to enlist in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The Malay ethnicity comprises the Belait, Bisaya, Brunei, Dusun, Kedayan, Murut, and Tutong indigenous races as defined in the Brunei constitution. Military service is not compulsory for any segment of the population; there is no conscription.
The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) use a wide range of foreign equipment, with a large percentage originating from the United Kingdom, France/Europe and the United States. The Royal Brunei Land Forces is the largest of the armed services, with a relatively small air force and navy. The Bruneian military lacks any recent combat experience but has been deployed regionally in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. Brunei also has extensive military relations with Singapore. On 31 May 2011, Royal Brunei Armed Forces reached its golden jubilee.
The Role of Royal Brunei Armed Forces is to:
The Royal Brunei Armed Forces is divided into four branches:
The Royal Brunei Land Forces is a brigade sized formation that consists of three battalions and a support battalion. The role of the Royal Brunei Land Forces is to maintain the security of Brunei and to defend the sovereignty of the country. Its main responsibility is to oppose any threat from within or outside the country and to maintain peace and security in the country.
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