Muara Naval Base, Monday, 5th April 2021 – Today, Command and Staff Course (CSC) 11/2021 participants paid a visit to the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) at Muara Naval Base. Lieutenant Colonel Mohamad Salehudin bin Dato Paduka Haji Puasa, Senior Directing Staff of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Defence Academy (DA RBAF), led the delegation.
Commander Haji Norbahrin bin Haji Muamad, RBN, Acting Chief of Staff RBN, welcomed the course participants at the Naval Training Centre (NTC). The delegation was then given an introductory briefing on the region’s maritime security challenges, which necessitate the RBN’s creation and adaptation into a credible force. Brunei Darussalam’s economy, trade, and defense are all heavily reliant on the maritime domain, he said. He also mentioned in his brief that the Contemporary Operating Environment poses dynamic challenges that are irregular in nature and necessitate a comprehensive ‘whole of government’ initiative. Combating today’s maritime issues needs interagency teamwork and integration. In light of this, today’s interconnectedness forces RBN to take a more proactive and outward-looking approach to regional defense. This will enable RBN to leverage on information sharing, defense diplomacy and maximize its sphere of networks within its regional partners organizations such as ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+), ASEAN Navies Chief Meeting (ANCM), Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). He also shared RBN’s adaptive strategies in the effort to defend the nation’s maritime sovereignty and territorial integrity near the end of his briefing. Also present was RBN’s senior executive committee; Fleet Commander, Commandant Support Service and Commandant Naval Training.
Following the brief, the CSC Cohort had the opportunity to ask the Commander of RBN, First Admiral Spry bin Haji Serudi, questions about their field of study in a question and answer session. The session ended with a group shot of the CSC cohort with the RBN Commander. The CSC participants subsequently proceed to jetty Bravo for a ship visit onboard KDB DARUTTAQWA. The cohort was received by Lieutenant Commander Malek Fadillah bin Pehin Datu Juragan Laila Diraja Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Kefli, RBN, the ship’s Commanding Officer. In the junior rate’s mess, the course participants received a safety briefing followed by a ship’s briefing. The ship visit provided participants with an understanding of the ship’s capabilities as well as an understanding of how the navy works at sea. The tour came to a close with a light refreshment at the senior rate’s mess.
The course participants benefited from the visit because they gained an understanding of the value of RBN as a tool for extending the nation’s foreign policy and defense diplomacy over a wider horizon.
