Royal Brunei Land Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Royal Brunei Land Forces | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms of the Royal Brunei Land Forces |
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| Active | 31 May 1961- |
| Country | Brunei |
| Branch | Army |
| Role | 1st Battalion - Light Role 2nd Battalion - Light Role 3rd Battalion - Light Role Support Battalion - Armoured/Engineers |
| Size | Four battalions |
| Part of | Royal Brunei Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion - Berakas 2nd Battalion - Tutong 3rd Battalion - Penanjong Support Battalion - Penanjong |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HM The Sultan |
The Royal Brunei Land Forces (Malay: Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei (TDDB)) is the land component of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The RBLF has responsibility for maintaining the territorial defence of Brunei, both from attack from outsiders, and by assisting the Royal Brunei Police in maintaining law and order.
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[edit] History
The Royal Brunei Land Forces was formed in May 1961 with the formation of the Brunei Malay Regiment, when the first intake of 60 recruits began training. The formal foundation of the regiment occurred in June 1962 when men of the first three intakes were formed into the regimental headquarters and three rifle companies. In 1965, the regiment received the royal prefix, becoming the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. Initially stationed at Port Dickson in Malaya, the regiment was soon moved to a purpose built barracks in Brunei itself. The Royal Brunei Malay Regiment established two new units, the Boat Section and the Air Service in 1965 to increase its capabilities further. These two units, together with the infantry, were amalgamated into a single task force in 1966.
In 1972, the regiment's structure was changed, with the infantry, aviation and naval sections split into separate units once again. The infantry companies became the 1st Battalion, Royal Brunei Malay Regiment, with a total of five rifle companies. Three years later, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Brunei Malay Regiment was formed by deamalgamating B Company and E Company of the 1st Battalion.
In 1984, Brunei achieved full independence from the United Kingdom. At that time, the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment was renamed as the Royal Brunei Land Forces, part of the wider Royal Brunei Armed Forces. In 1990, the Support Battalion was formed comprising an armoured reconnaissance squadron, air defence battery and combat engineer squadron, together with maintenance and administrative support. In 1994, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Brunei Land Forces was formed from members of D Company, 1st Battalion RBLF and F Company, 2nd Battalion RBLF, while the air defence battery and engineering workshop were transferred from the Support Battalion to the Royal Brunei Air Force and the Support Service respectively.
Today, the RBLF maintains close ties with many other nations, both in the South-East Asia region and elsewhere. The RBLF conducts a exercises with the Malaysian Army and the Singapore Army on a regular basis. The RBLF has also conducted regular exercises with the armies of both Australia and New Zealand, while the United States Marine Corps conducts annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Brunei.
[edit] Brunei and the UK
The Royal Brunei Land Forces has significant ties to the British Army, due in no small part to the fact that there is a permanent British garrison in Brunei. Following the Brunei Revolt in 1962, an agreement was signed between Brunei and the United Kingdom that a battalion of Gurkhas would be stationed in the country to protect various British interests, most notably the major oil installations at Seria. The current garrison consists of a battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, plus a flight of helicopters from the Army Air Corps in support. However, Brunei is also used by the British Army in general for training in jungle warfare. The presence of one of the British Army's few significant overseas garrisons provides an opportunity to assist the RBLF in its training.
