DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore And Brunei Armies Forge Closer Ties

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore And Brunei Armies Forge Closer Ties

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Ong Hong Tat - Ministry of Defence Singapore

(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - February 17, 2011: Since 10 Feb, some 500 personnel from the Army and the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) have been training together as part of the annual bilateral exercise, codenamed Maju Bersama.

Troops from the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR) and Delta Company, 2nd Battalion RBLF conducted integrated urban operations (UO) drills at the Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF), as part of the exercise.

"We are here to share our drills with the RBLF soldiers and learn from each other," said Lieutenant (LTA) Mohd Najibullah, a Platoon Commander from 1 SIR.

Soldiers from both sides started off with group, section and platoon-level drills, culminating in a concurrent company-level assault on various objectives within the MUTF.

During the exercise, the camaraderie among soldiers from the two armies was clearly evident. "Many of my fellow RBLF officers have ties with Singapore, having attended Officer Cadet School (OCS) here." said Major (MAJ) Mohd Suwardi, Officer Commanding of Delta Company, 2nd Battalion RBLF.

MAJ Suwardi himself attended OCS in 1998, and was commissioned as an officer in Singapore. "Initially, we struggled to communicate with each other but we worked around it by getting soldiers who speak both English and Malay to relay our messages to one another," said LTA Najibullah. "Within the first few hours, we were understanding each other well." Moving in teams of about six, soldiers from 1 SIR carried out their tactical urban operations drills, observed by the RBLF troops. "The Singapore Army certainly possesses a high level of proficiency in UO. I would say that both sides have benefited a lot from the exercise," commented MAJ Suwardi. Similarly, soldiers from 1 SIR were impressed with the RBLF's expertise in the conduct of jungle warfare. "They showed us some of their survival skills such as setting up animal traps. I can tell that they are really professional and experienced [in jungle survival]," said Private Muhammad Irsyad, a trooper from 1 SIR. In addition to the urban operations drills conducted at the MUTF, the eight-day exercise, which concluded today, included brigade-level planning and a combined live-firing exercise. First conducted in 1995, Exercise Maju Bersama underscores the close and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and Brunei. Both armies engage in regular bilateral exercises, visits and professional exchanges, which have fostered mutual understanding and enhanced interoperability between the two armies.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: Russia Eyes Brunei As Potential Arms Buyer

DTN News: Russia Eyes Brunei As Potential Arms Buyer *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - October 15, 2009: Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport expressed the hope on Wednesday that it could initiate military-technological cooperation with the sultanate of Brunei. The sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, arrived on an official visit to Russia on Monday and met with Rosoboronexport officials for discussions on the possibility of future arms purchases from Moscow. "We hope that our recent meeting will mark the beginning of mutually beneficial and constructive dialogue in the sphere of military-technological cooperation between our two states," Rosoboronexport general director Viktor Komardin said. Bolkiah was given a multimedia presentation of Russian-made air defense systems and was shown a Ka-52 attack helicopter in action. He also visited a training center for special forces units, and watched a demonstration of spetsnaz tactics. "Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah showed an active interest in Russian weaponry and expressed satisfaction with the talks and presentations," Rosoboronexport said in a press release. Rosoboronexport has not yet received any orders for the delivery of military equipment to Brunei, a former British colony in southeast Asia, although the Russian company exhibited a variety of military export items during a special presentation in Brunei in 2005. Brunei has a limited military contingent, comprising ground forces, air force and navy, to counter aggression, terrorism and insurgency. The most combat capable force is the Gurkha Reserve Unit, which serves to protect the sultan, the royal family, and oil installations. The Royal Brunei Armed Forces use a wide range of foreign equipment, mostly from Britain, France and the United States. Russian Arms Export Related News....for full stories click on the links below ~ Russia has 5 arms deals with Libya - Rosoboronexport ~ Rosoboronexport, Thales sign cooperation memorandum ~ Rosoboronexport projects $7 bln in arms exports this year ~ Kremlin must decide on sales of S-300 to Iran - Rosoboronexport ~ Russia to present Mi, Ka helicopters at Malaysia

DTN News: Singapore TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Singapore Participates In Naval Exercise Against Terrorism

DTN News: Singapore TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ Singapore Participates In Naval Exercise Against Terrorism

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - August 15, 2009: The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is participating in the Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise, together with the United States Navy (USN) and navies from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Held from August 14 to 20, SEACAT, which was first held in 2002, is a series of annual exercises by the USN and navies of Southeast Asian countries to enhance maritime information—sharing and the coordination of maritime security responses. As part of the exercise, ships transiting through Singapore waters will be tracked. Other drills include the boarding of US civil resource ships participating in the exercise as merchant vessels suspected of terrorist activities. Personnel from the RSN’s Maritime Security Task Force, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority will be taking part in the exercise. Also with them are the RSN patrol vessels, Accompanying Sea Security Teams (ASSeTs), Police Coast Guard patrol boats and maritime patrol aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

China Offers Funds To Boost Asean

China Offers Funds To Boost Asean

(NSI News Source Info) April 13, 2009: China has unveiled plans to establish a $10bn (£6.8bn) investment fund for south-east Asian countries. It has also offered credit of $15bn to the Association of South-East Asian Nations, or Asean. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had planned to announce the fund at the cancelled Asean summit this weekend. China's premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) meets unidentified officials, as he arrives at the U-Tapao military airport, some 170 km south-east of Bangkok on April 10, 2009 for the 14th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits held in nearby Pattaya. Hundreds of protesters massed in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya where Asian leaders are holding a major summit April 10 to 12, opening a new front in rallies against the country's prime minister. Asean was set up in 1967 in part to counter influence from communist China but has since become a vehicle for close ties. The collapse of the Asean summit, scheduled in Pattaya, Thailand, this weekend, delayed the conclusion of a key investment agreement between China and the economic bloc. That deal is intended to create the world's largest free trade area, covering nearly two-billion people. China funds China's Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, announced the new funding plans in Beijing to a gathering of envoys from the 10 members of Asean - Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The $10bn investment fund was designed for cooperation on infrastructure construction, energy and resources, information and communications, China's state news agency Xinhua quoted Mr Yang as saying. Over the next three to five years, China planned to offer $15bn in credit, including loans with preferential terms of $1.7bn in aid for cooperation projects. China also planned to offer 270 million yuan ($39.7m) in special aid to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to meet urgent needs, inject $5m into the China-Asean Cooperation Fund, and donate $900,000 to the cooperation fund of Asean Plus-3, the side grouping of Asean plus China, Japan and the South Korea. Several South- East Asian economies rely heavily on exports to China. China said it would provide 300,000 tons of rice for the emergency East Asia rice reserve, and more government scholarships. "The overall thought for China-Asean cooperation is that the two sides should rise to difficulties in face of the grim global financial crisis, and make efforts to convert unprecedented challenge into opportunity for closer pragmatic cooperation and common development," Mr Yang said. Region watching China has played a larger role in recent years in the export-dependent economies of South East Asia, as a market for goods and raw materials and as a source of investment. It has been active in building roads and other transport links through Laos, Burma and Cambodia, linking southern China to South East Asian resources and ports. During the financial crisis of 1997-98, China also offered support to South East Asian economies. Analysts have noted that while its economic role is increasing, Asean remains strategically linked to the stronger military power of the US. Tensions persist between China and the many south-east Asian claimants to groups of islands in the South China Sea.

Beijing Sends Patrol Ship To South China Sea

Beijing Sends Patrol Ship To South China Sea

(NSI News Source Info) March 16, 2009: China has dispatched its most modern patrol ship to the South China Sea, state press said Sunday, after an incident with a US naval vessel and a fresh claim by the Philippines to the disputed territory.

USNS Impeccable is seen underway on Monday, March 9, 2009. The ship is one of five ocean surveillance ships that are part of the 25 ships in the Military Sealift Command Special Mission Ships Program.

The Beijing News said the vessel would conduct patrols of what it called China’s exclusive maritime zone in the disputed waters surrounding the Paracel and Spratly Islands. It said the converted naval rescue ship would aid Chinese fishing boats and transport vessels. The Philippines passed a law last week which lays claim to disputed islands in the Spratlys chain that are also claimed by China. Beijing has called the law “illegal and invalid.”

Tensions in the area rose further when the United States sent destroyers to international waters off southern China to protect a naval surveillance patrol that was involved in a stand off with Chinese vessels.

(Map shows Hainan Island, China, near where a U.S. Navy mapping ship was harassed by Chinese vessels) China says the US patrol vessels were within its 200-kilometre (125-mile) economic exclusive zone, but the United States has insisted they were in international waters. The Spratly and Paracel island chains have been flashpoints for years. The Spratlys are claimed in full or part by China and Vietnam as well as the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, and the Paracels are claimed by China, which now occupies them, as well as by Vietnam and Taiwan.

Indonesia And Malaysia Laying Claim To Islands

Indonesia And Malaysia Laying Claim To Islands (NSI News Source Info) December 13, 2008: Indonesia has dispatched an F-16 fighter, and its ground crew, to an airfield in Makassar, on nearby South Sulawesi island, to defend the nearby Ambalat region (between Sipadam and Ligatan Islands) from Malaysia, which claims ownership of the place. Indonesian AF F-16A in air superiority blue color scheme, prior to delivery. The Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara) ordered a total of 12 F-16A/B Block 15OCU aircraft. An additional order for 9 aircraft (from the embargoed Pakistani order) and plans for the acquisition of up to 60 F-16s were cancelled and replaced with 4 Flankers. Indonesia's F-16s are employed in both air defense and ground attack roles, although lack of advanced weapons and navigation/targeting equipment limits them to daylight operations

The area is believed to contain large gas and oil deposits. This is a common situation in the region, where there are many disputed islands sitting on possible oil fields. This sort of thing has long been a cause for wars. All it takes is a country that feels it is losing out because a border is not where everyone agrees is should be. Same thing with islands. There are dozens of these island disputes worldwide. Most are not active issues, except for the fact that an international treaty (the 1982 Law of the Sea) gives whoever owns these uninhabited rocks rights to fishing, and oil drilling, for over three hundred kilometers from each of these tiny bits of land. Aside from prestige and possible historical ties, the primary reasons countries are claiming ownership of these uninhabited bits of land has to do with the ability to control sea lanes, defining maritime economic zones, possible tourist dollars in some instance, and oil, rumored to underlie much of the area. The principal islands involved (and the nations claiming ownership) are; -- Sipadam and Ligatan Islands, claimed by Malaysia and Indonesia -- this is one that has always seemed most likely to cause trouble in the near term. Two years ago, warships from both countries confronted each other in the area, with a Malaysian ship ramming an Indonesian one, causing minor damage to both vessels. Malaysian warships have been chasing Indonesian fishing boats out of the area. Both nations have awarded oil concessions to companies, but no one is willing to search for oil until the diplomatic, and military, friction is taken care of. -- Padra Branca Islands, claimed by Malaysia and Singapore. -- Louisa Reef, claimed by Malaysia & Brunei. -- Spratly Islands, claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, & Brunei: They're a bunch of some 100 rocks, reefs, cays, shoals, mud banks, and even islands. China claims them all, but occupies only 8, Vietnam has occupied or marked 25, the Philippines 8, Malaysia 6, and Taiwan one. -- Paracel Islands, claimed by China, which occupies them, Taiwan, and Vietnam. -- Sabah, claimed by Philippines & Malaysia. This is a province of Malaysia, which the Filipinos claim was ceded to the Sultan of Sulu (now part of the Philippines) back in the 1870s. In some of these there have also been periodic clashes over who maintains aids to navigation.