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British Forces Brunei

Coordinates: 4°36′31″N 114°18′51″E / 4.6087090°N 114.3140907°E / 4.6087090; 114.3140907
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4°36′31″N 114°18′51″E / 4.6087090°N 114.3140907°E / 4.6087090; 114.3140907

British Forces Brunei
The British Tri-Service badge
Allegiance United Kingdom
Brunei Brunei Darussalam
Branch British Army
Royal Air Force
Typeoverseas UK military base
Part ofUK Ministry of Defence
Garrison/HQSeria, Belait District, Brunei Darussalam
Commanders
Commander of the British Forces BruneiLieutenant Colonel Andrew Todd

British Forces Brunei (BFB) is the name given to the British Armed Forces presence in Brunei Darussalam. Since the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in Brunei is one of the remaining British military bases in the Far East, along with Singapore (and one of six East of Suez, along with Diego Garcia, HMS Juffair, UK Joint Logistics Support Base (UKJLSB), Sembawang Base in Singapore, and the Omani-British Joint Training Area).

History

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Members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers taking down shelters before commencing the last day of live firing in the jungles of Brunei in 2016.

The BFB garrison came about in 1963, when British troops were moved there from Singapore to quell the 1962 Brunei revolt against Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III in December 1962.[1]

From there, British forces have been involved in several conflicts, including helping to quell the Brunei Revolt of 1962 and the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Since Brunei's independence in 1984, forces have been stationed there at the request of the current Sultan, in a renewable agreement lasting five years at a time. The forces stationed in Brunei are available to assist the Sultan,[2] but are also available for deployment overseas with other elements of the British Armed Forces if needed. As recompense, the Sultan pays to help support the British presence.[3][4]

On 1 August 2021, No. 7 Flight AAC was re-designated as No. 667 Squadron AAC.[5] In 2022, the Bell 212 was replaced in Brunei with the RAF Puma HC2, operated by No. 1563 Flight RAF.[6] A year later on 27 May, the 1563 Flight was replaced by Pumas from No. 230 Squadron RAF.[7][8]

Structure

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Medicina Lines in 2015.

British Forces Brunei is located at Medicina Lines and Tuker Lines near the oil town of Seria in Belait District, and is centred on a light infantry battalion, which will be one of the two battalions of the Royal Gurkha Rifles. The battalion stationed in Brunei operates as the British Army's acclimatised Far East reserve,[9] and is available for overseas deployment to the Far East and beyond; the Brunei-based battalion has been deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick on several occasions, as well as to East Timor.[10]

In addition, Brunei serves as one of the British Army's major training areas, specialising in jungle warfare, with the Jungle Warfare Training School (also known as Training Team Brunei or Jungle Warfare Division (JWD)) running the Jungle Warfare Advisor's Course.[11] The three locations that make up Brunei Garrison are Sittang Camp, which is located in the middle of the nation just outside of Tutong, Medicina Lines, which is home to the Jungle Warfare Division and 230 Sqn RAF. The Garrison Headquarters and the resident Gurkha Battalion are housed in Tuker Lines, which is also home to the Garrison Support Services.[12]

Stationed units

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Off-duty life

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The British Forces Broadcasting Service broadcasts to the garrison, carrying programmes from both BFBS Radio 1 and BFBS Radio Gurkha. The Hornbill School, operated by Service Children's Education, is a primary school for children of services personnel.[15][16]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Brunei Garrison". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Royal Gurkha Rifles". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d.
  3. ^ Eimer, David (27 October 2013). "Brunei a throwback to an age of absolute monarchy". Telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph.
  4. ^ Bowie, Nile (18 March 2018). "China throws sinking Brunei a lifeline". AsiaTimes.com. Asia Times Online. The sultan, the world's second-longest reigning monarch, also directly finances Britain's military presence and entrusts a Gurkha unit retired from the British army with his personal security.
  5. ^ "New designation for Army Air Corps jungle support unit". Key.Aero. Key Publishing. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Brunei | The British Army". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  7. ^ "BFBS Brunei - After 9 long months of driving back and forth to Rimba Air Base, today the Royal Air Force and the Pumas landed at their new permanent base in Medicina..." Facebook.com. British Forces Broadcasting Service. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  8. ^ Latter, Mick (3 July 2023). "RAF Puma Force (230 Squadron) officially welcome in Medicina Lines, Brunei". GurkhaBde.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  9. ^ "1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d.
  10. ^ "Gurkhas join Australians on E. Timor force". Los Angeles Times. 17 September 1999.
  11. ^ a b "British Military Garrison Brunei". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d. Archived from the original on 13 March 2008.
  12. ^ "The British Army in Brunei". Army.MoD.uk. British Army. n.d. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  13. ^ "His Majesty visits the First Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles at Tuker Lines, Seria". GOV.UK. British High Commission Bandar Seri Begawan. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  14. ^ "RAF Akrotiri helicopter capability transfers from Griffin to Puma". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Farewell ceremony for members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles". RTBNews.RTB.gov.bn. Radio Televisyen Brunei. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013.
  16. ^ "About BFB | BFB Garrison". BritishForcesBrunei.co.uk. British Forces Brunei. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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