Brunei and Singapore Begin Joint Air Defence Drill in Exercise Air Guard

02 November 2012

The exercise will ended with a simulated air attack  (photo : Brunei MoD)

Exercise Air Guard in full swing at Rimba Air Force Base

THE Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) began its annual bilateral exercise, codenamed 'Exercise Air Guard', at the Rimba Air Force Base yesterday.

Officiated by the Commanding Officer of the RBAirF Air Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel (U) Abd Rahman Hj Durahman, the opening ceremony commenced with a parade performed by the exercise participants and ended with a simulated air attack.

Exercise Air Guard will take place between members of the RBAirF Air Regiment and the RSAF 18th Defence Artillery Battalion (18 DA BN) until November 14.

Singapore's contingent comprise of 28 members from the 18 DA BN and headed by Major Tan Ban Huat. The participating members consist of officers, specialists and Air Defence operators, who arrived in Brunei on October 31.

Over the two-week long exercise, the air forces will partake in air defence theory, practical lessons, leadership as well as sports activities and a three-day field trip.

Among the aims of Exercise Air Guard is to strengthen defence relations between the participating air forces as well as provide realistic air defence training for Ground Based Air Defence (BGAD) operators.

This year marks the 18th Exercise Air Guard that has been conducted, whereby the previous exercise was held in Singapore on November 2011.

Since its inauguration in 1994, Exercise Air Guard has expanded its scope with the introduction of the Mistral Air Defence System and has been conducted between Brunei and Singapore on an annual basis, with the two air forces alternating as hosts.

(Brunei Times)