Asia Defense | Security | Southeast Asia

Options for the Royal Brunei Air Force’s Fast-jet Decision

One important mantra for the RBAirF: Don’t try to run before you can walk.

An FA-50 arrives in the Philippines for induction in the Philippine Air Force, June 1, 2017.

The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), which turned 60 in June, finds itself in a rapidly changing geostrategic environment, characterized by conflict and instability. Brunei is unlikely to suffer outright military aggression but could face spillover effects of increased super power confrontation in the region. 

Brunei’s recent defense white paper identified major power rivalry, regional and global conflicts, radicalization, and rapidly advancing disruptive technologies as sources of concern. It also laid out a path to secure national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The RBAirF is actively looking to expand its means to do so, including with plans to acquire medium-range ground-based air defense systems and fast-jet combat aircraft. 

Currently, the RBAirF operates a small fleet of modern turboprop-powered fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. In May, Brunei took delivery of the last two CASA (Airbus) C295W medium-airlift aircraft, first ordered in 2022. The aircraft replaced older C235 aircraft in the No. 15 Squadron in territorial and maritime surveillance, airlift, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. 

For rotary-wing tactical airlift, search and rescue, and combat air support (CAS), the RBAirF operates a fleet of 12 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters and a handful of ageing BO105 helicopters. The latter is slated to be replaced by six Airbus H145M multirole helicopters. 

Finally, for basic flight training, the RBAirF flies four Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop aircraft. The aircraft were put into service in 1997, which makes them among the oldest aircraft in Bruneian service and in dire need for replacement.

To meet the air force’s mission – “to deliver responsive air power in securing Brunei Darussalam’s territorial integrity and national interests” – amid a changing security environment, more capable combat aircraft are also needed urgently. 

As the RBAirF considers the acquisition of a squadron of fast-jet combat aircraft, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are lining up to offer their fighters to Brunei Darussalam. 

Options like the Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Viper offer a leap in capability for the RBAirF and come with closer ties with the U.S. defense industry and Washington D.C. However, the F-16 or an equivalent is not the best solution for the RBAirF as it seeks to enter fast-jet operations. Any decision regarding the RBAirF’s future combat aircraft should go beyond simple fighter comparisons and consider the air force’s broader requirements across its stated roles. 

Entering fast-jet operations also poses new training demands for the air force. Brunei will need a revised flight training syllabus and modern training aircraft to ready its future generation of pilots. 

Brunei could consider adopting the Singapore model by dispatching pilots to another country for advanced jet training (Phase 3-4), or join international advanced military flight training courses in Italy or Canada, while maintaining the elementary and basic training (Phase 1-2) at home.

Alternatively, the RBAirF could acquire the Embraer A-29 or Textron Aviation T-6 Texan II turboprop trainers to replace the aging PC-7 Mk. II fleet to meet its own advanced training (Phase 3) demands. 

Some air forces like Switzerland, for example, employ modern turboprop aircraft to fulfill their pilot training needs entirely (Phase 2-4), enabling pilots to transition from turboprop aircraft directly to jet combat aircraft. 

Moreover, both Embraer and Textron offer missionized and armed variants of their aircraft, which would offer Brunei an affordable light combat aircraft capability. The A-29 and AT-6 can be equipped with advanced electro-optical and infrared search and track, and laser track sensors, gun and rocket pods, and a variety of precision-guided munitions.

Critically, this would allow the RBAirF to meet many of its CAS, counterinsurgency (COIN), combat search and rescue, airborne forward air controller, armed reconnaissance, helicopter escort, and border and maritime surveillance patrol missions assigned to it with greater efficiency and capability than is possible today. 

Therefore, the two types offer substantial value at low cost. They would help support the Bruneian ground forces and navy, and other government agencies, and offer major savings that come from maintenance, operational, and training synergies of operating a common platform that meets the RBAirF’s basic military flight training requirements while fulfilling many of its lower end combat needs. 

To effectively protect Brunei’s airspace against intruders and assist in land and maritime border surveillance, rapid response (i.e., Quick Reaction Alert or QRA) is of essence. 

Neither the current turboprop aircraft or helicopters, nor turboprop light combat aircraft, can effectively intercept fast-moving and high-flying intruders near Bruneian sovereign airspace or above the exclusive economic zone. Therefore, the RBAirF requirement for fast jet combat aircraft is understandable. 

Multirole Light Combat Aircraft

To meet the requirement, Brunei should consider acquiring modern multirole jet-trainer aircraft and their light combat........

© The Diplomat