Early history

The forerunner of the Royal Brunei Navy was formed on 14 June 1965 (1965-06-14), four years after the formation of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei, AMDB). It was initially known as Boat Section of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Its manning strength was only eighteen personnel, including one officer from the First Battalion who had attended a basic military course in Malaya in 1961 until 1964.^[6]

This Boat Section was equipped with a number of aluminium boats, known as Temuai in Malay, and fast assault boats (FABs).^[6] The role of the Boat Section was solely to provide transportation of infantry elements to the interior of Brunei. As the organisation expanded with the aid of stable economic growth, the Boat Section was renamed the Boat Company in 1966.^[6]

The Boat Company received three river patrol boats in 1966. These boats were named KDB Bendahara, KDB Maharajalela, and KDB Kermaindera. All the ships were crewed by Bruneians, led by a qualified commanding officer. In the same year, the strength of the Boat Company was enhanced with hovercraft vessels type SR.N5, followed by SR.N6 in 1968.^[7] The first fast patrol craft was accepted in 1968 and named KDB Pahlawan. It became the first flagship for the Boat Company.^[7]

KDB Saleha underway in 1971.

The Boat Company was reorganised as Angkatan Laut Pertama, Askar Melayu DiRaja Brunei (ALP AMDB) or the First Sea Battalion, Royal Brunei Malay Regiment in Malay. It was one of the larger branches of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. During that time, the estimated strength of Angkatan Laut Pertama, Askar Melayu DiRaja Brunei was forty-two personnel, including an officer, while assets consisted of one fast patrol craft, three river patrol boats, two hovercraft vessels, fast assault boats, a few long boats, and Temuai (aluminium boats).^[8]

In 1971, the First Sea Battalion received two more coastal patrol craft, KDB Saleha and KDB Masna.^[9] The First Sea Battalion was reorganised again on 1 October 1991 (1991-10-01), as the Royal Brunei Navy, due to the growth of the armed forces in Brunei after independence from the United Kingdom.^[10]

F2000 corvette dispute

The Royal Brunei Navy aimed to undergo a large-scale modernisation, with the upgrading of the Muara Naval Base, and the purchase of three British-built corvettes from BAE Systems Naval Ships, Scotland. The ships were armed with MBDA Exocet Block II anti-ship missiles and MBDA Seawolf surface-to-air missiles. The contract was awarded to GEC-Marconi in 1995: the Nakhoda Ragam class OPVs were launched in January 2001, June 2001, and June 2002, at the then BAE Systems Marine yard at Scotstoun. These were completed but not delivered from BAE Systems Naval Ships in Scotstoun due to claims by the Royal Brunei Navy that the ships fail to meet the required specifications;^[11] though opinion in the shipyard was that they were too complex for a small navy to operate.^[12] The contract dispute became the subject of arbitration.^[13] When the dispute was settled in favour of BAE Systems, the vessels were handed over to Royal Brunei Technical Services (RBTS) in June 2007.^[12]

In 2007, Brunei contracted the German Lürssen shipyard to find a new customer for the three ships, though by 2011 the vessels remained unsold and laid up at Barrow-in-Furness.^[14] These ships were eventually purchased in 2013 by the Indonesian Navy for £380 million, or half of the original unit cost, and renamed Bung Tomo-class corvettes.^[15]

Present day

A Royal Brunei Navy lieutenant during RIMPAC 2018.

Exercise SEAGULL 03-07 was held in Brunei from 2 to 10 September 2007, between the Royal Brunei Navy and their Philippine Navy counterparts. Participating ships include the Philippine Navy corvette BRP Rizal (PS-74) and patrol gunboat BRP Federico Martir (PG-385), and Royal Brunei Navy ships KDB Pejuang P03, KDB Seteria P04, KDB Perwira P14, and KDB Penyerang P16. They conducted series of drills, including mine clearance, under-water operations, replenishment at sea, night encounter exercise, boarding exercise, and other naval tactical exercises.^[16]

In 2019, the Royal Brunei Navy unveiled the Singapore-based Force-21 manufactured Digital Disruptive Pattern (D2P) battle-dress uniform (BDU) in digital blue colours at the 58th anniversary celebration at the Bolkiah Garrison.^[17][18]

In April 2021, the RBN installed the Royal Brunei Navy Full Mission Bridge Simulator (RBN FMBS) to provide synthetic training for all sailors of the RBN.^[19]

Roles

The roles of the Royal Brunei Navy are:

• Deterrence against attack mounted by sea-borne forces;
• Protection of national offshore resources;
• Maintaining Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC);
• Surveillance of the 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres; 230 miles) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ);
• Maritime search and rescue operations;
• Support of units of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces operational activities;
• Provide support for other security agencies and ministries as ordered by Ministry of Defence of Brunei.

Organisation

The Royal Brunei Navy is divided into four main components as follows:^[20]

• Fleet
• Administration
• Training
• Logistics

Headquarters

The administration of First Sea Battalion moved to a new base at Jalan Tanjong Pelumpong Muara in 1974. This base is now known as the Muara Naval Base. The Muara Naval Base serves as the headquarters of the Royal Brunei Navy. It was expanded in 1997 to include facilities to support three offshore support vessels.^[21] Muara Naval Base is frequently visited by foreign warships, most notable are the frequent visits by British Royal Navy ships. Persekutuan Pengakap Negara Brunei Darussalam visits the Naval base sometimes too.

Commissioned officer

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Royal Brunei Navy[35]
	Laksamana armada		Laksamana		Laksamana madya		Laksamana muda		Laksamana pertama		Kepten		Komander		Leftenan komander		Leftenan		Leftenan madya			Leftenan muda

Enlisted

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Royal Brunei Navy[35]																													No insignia
	Pegawai waran 1						Pegawai waran 2		Bintara kanan		Bintara												Laskar kanan				Laskar muda		Prebet/Soldadu

Others

Personnel launches used for riverine patrols

• 01 Aman
• 02 Damai
• 04 Sentosa
• 06 Sejahteru

Fisheries and Industry / Primary Resources ministries also operate 16 metres (52 ft) patrol boats built by Syarikat Cheoy Lee Shipyards (delivered 2002).