Singapore and Brunei mark 50 years of defence ties with a Joint Parade at Muara Naval Base

Singapore and Brunei Darussalam marked 50 years of defence relations on 10 October with a Joint Parade at Muara Naval Base in Brunei, attended by Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said 256 personnel and assets from both countries’ land, naval and air forces took part.

The parade

In its release on the event, MINDEF listed the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Maritime Security and Response Vessel Protector, the Royal Brunei Navy patrol vessel KDB As-Siddiq and the offshore patrol vessel KDB Darussalam in the sail-past. The fly-past comprised two Republic of Singapore Air Force H225M medium-lift helicopters and three Royal Brunei Air Force S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.

Wong and the Sultan were the guests of honour. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force, Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng, attended, as did the Royal Brunei Armed Forces commander, Major-General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan. After the parade, the two leaders launched and toured a gallery covering five decades of defence ties. Wong also met Singapore Armed Forces personnel training in Temburong.

Five decades of cooperation

MINDEF’s fact sheet dates formal defence relations to 1976 and says generations of Singapore servicemen have trained in Brunei. Cooperation has grown from training exchanges to regular bilateral exercises across all three services, senior-level engagements and work on defence technology and emerging security domains. The two countries also worked together after the 2015 Nepal earthquake and co-hosted the 2016 ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism Exercise.

The established exercises include Maju Bersama, Rintis Bersama, Airguard and Pelican. According to MINDEF, the air forces have now placed Airguard under a new framework, Exercise Vanguard, which adds Exercise Wing Guard for helicopter training and Exercise Skyguard for uncrewed aerial vehicle training. Officers also attend each other’s command and staff courses.

Jubilee milestones

Besides the parade, MINDEF listed two recent infrastructure steps. On 30 September the two armies broke ground in Brunei on the jointly developed Binturan Bridge. On 8 October the two navies opened the jointly developed Underwater Demolition Range, which supports naval diving training; the same day MINDEF issued a release on the navies’ Exercise Pelican 2026. A commemorative closing dinner, hosted by Brunei, is planned in Singapore on 21 November.