This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 7/12/2019

Overview

U.S. defense industry firms have an established history of supplying the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) with defense equipment, after-sales support services, and training packages. RBAF is an all-volunteer force of nearly 8,000 service members. The RBAF relies primarily upon helicopters to deploy its forces for border security, to perform coastal surveillance missions, for disaster response missions, and for law enforcement support. The Air Force possesses one troop transport fixed-wing plane, flight training aircraft, and a number of rotary wing aircraft. In 2011, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation signed a deal with Brunei for delivery of 12 Blackhawk S-70i helicopters which were all delivered by 2015. Brunei’s naval capabilities are focused on Exclusive Economic Zone security, domain awareness and offshore oil facility protection.

Opportunites

U.S. defense contractors may discover equipment, training and other defense-related opportunities with Brunei, particularly in support of Brunei’s 2011 Defense White Paper goals and objectives. Border security and surveillance, air defense platforms, maritime and domain awareness, regional disaster response, and domestic emergency preparedness are among Brunei’s priority efforts. Brunei places emphasis on the importance of science and technology and Command and Control abilities to leverage the effectiveness of its relatively small armed forces.

In addition to working with regional partners, as it did during the ASEAN Defense Minister's Meeting Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism Exercise at Brunei’s Muara Naval Base in 2016, Brunei is also seeking to increase its border and maritime defense capacity through improved regional military coordination and cooperation with its neighbors during various bilateral and multilateral interoperability engagements.

To enable these capacities, Brunei has stated its intent to acquire new defense equipment, including surface/maritime surveillance radar, airspace surveillance platforms, maritime patrol aircraft, fixed-wing transport aircraft, medium-range air defense systems, and related assets. Military services may also be interested in non-lethal equipment which may be procured through vendors registered with the Ministry of Defense.

CSTRAD and RBTS are responsible for the R&D, assessment, and selection of defense technology solutions for RBAF. CSTRAD oversees Brunei’s defense modernization efforts, advises the Ministry of Defense on science and technology matters, and supervises the transparency and timeliness of the defense-related acquisition process.

Web Resources

Brunei Government Resources
Ministry of Defense
Royal Brunei Technical Services
Centre of Science and Technology Research and Development (CSTRAD)
2011 Brunei Defense White Paper Report

For more information on procurement opportunities, contact:
Office of Defense Cooperation
U.S. Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Phone: (673)-238-4616
 

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