Rimba Air Force Base, Wednesday, 24 January 2024 – His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, today graced a ceremony for the arrival of two of the four new C295MW aircrafts for the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) held at the Air Movement Centre, Rimba Air Force Base.
Upon arrival, His Royal Highness was greeted by Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II; Yang Mulia Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).
Also present at the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Services Commanders, Acting Joint Force Commander RBAF, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Senior Officers of the RBAF and delegation from Airbus Defence and Space headed by Zakir Hamid, Head of Region Asia-Pacific and China.
His Royal Highness proceeded to Bilik Merpati for a short briefing and video presentation from Airbus Defence and Space.
To start the ceremony, His Royal Highness was invited to witness the traditional ceremonial “Water Salute” in honouring the arrival of both aircraft as they entered the Military Apron. This was followed by a ‘Sujud Syukur’ performed by the C295MW aircrew, as a gesture of gratitude to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala for a safe six-day long range transit journey from the manufacturing factory in Seville, Spain beginning on 18 January 2024. To bless the ceremony, a Doa Selamat was read by Commander Haji Ainolnizam bin Haji Ibrahim, RBN, Director of RBAF Religious Directorate (JAMA’AT).
His Royal Highness then was introduced to the aircrew involved and invited for a familiarisation tour of the C295MW aircraft, followed by a photo session with the aircrew and group photo session. His Royal Highness was presented with a pesambah before proceeding into Bilik Merbuk for a Royal Luncheon. His Royal Highness was then invited to sign the Royal Parchment before departing the Rimba Air Force Base.
The Air Transport project contract was signed by the Ministry of Defence, on behalf of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and Airbus Defence and Space on 02 December 2022 for the delivery of a fleet of four C295MW.
The arrival of the first two C295MW aircrafts was the recent proceedings after the Customer Acceptance Test Ceremony was signed at Airbus Defence and Space, Seville, Spain that was attended by Yang Berhormat Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II, Commander RBAF and Commander RBAirF. An Introduction to Service Ceremony will be held separately in the near future to officiate the C295MW aircrafts into the service for the RBairF.
The C295MW aircraft is capable of carrying our various strategic and tactical transport missions, both regionally and internationally including Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuations), NEO (Non-combatant Evacuation Operations) and SAR (Search and Rescue operations). The aircraft is also configurable to perform various roles such as Troop and Cargo Transport, VIP Transport, Freefall, Airborne Static Jumps, Cargo Drops and MEDEVAC.
DULI YANG TERAMAT MULIA PADUKA SERI PENGIRAN MUDA MAHKOTA PENGIRAN MUDA HAJI AL-MUHTADEE BILLAH,
MENTERI KANAN DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
BERKENAN BERANGKAT KE UPACARA KETIBAAN PESAWAT C295MW
Pangkalan Tentera Udara Rimba, Rabu, 24 Januari 2024 – Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Menteri Kanan di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, hari ini berkenan berangkat ke Upacara Ketibaan dua buah dari empat buah Pesawat-Pesawat C295MW baharu di tempah bagi Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (TUDB) yang berlangsung di Pusat Pergerakan Udara, Pangkalan Tentera Udara Rimba.
Keberangkatan tiba Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota dijunjung oleh Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (Bersara) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan II; Yang Mulia Mejar Jeneral Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan, Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB) dan Brigedier Jeneral (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Pemerintah Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (TUDB).
Turut hadir semasa Upacara Ketibaan Pesawat tersebut ialah Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan, Pemerintah-Pemerintah Angkatan Tentera, Pemangku Pemerintah Angkatan Bersama ABDB, Timbalan Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan, Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan ABDB dan delegasi daripada Syarikat Airbus Defence and Space yang diketuai oleh Zakir Hamid, Head of Region Airbus Asia-Pacific and China.
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia seterusnya dijunjung beredar masuk ke Bilik Merpati untuk disembahkan taklimat ringkas dan disusuli dengan tayangan video daripada Syarikat Airbus Defence and Space.
Upacara tersebut dimulakan dengan Duli Yang Teramat Mulia dijunjung beredar ke ruang tempat duduk khas untuk menyaksikan ketibaan pesawat-pesawat C295MW yang menerima “Water Salute” sebagai tanda penghormatan setibanya menuju masuk melalui Military Apron. Sebagai tanda syukur kehadrat Allah Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala kru-kru pesawat melaksanakan ‘Sujud Syukur’ diatas selamat kembalinya ke tanah air setelah selesai membuat penerbangan jarak jauh selama enam hari yang telah bermula dari perkilangan pesawat di Seville, Sepanyol pada 18 Januari 2024. Doa Selamat dibacakan oleh Yang Mulia Komander Haji Ainolnizam bin Haji Ibrahim, TLDB, Pengarah Jabatanarah Agama ABDB (JAMA’AT) bagi memohon keberkatan upacara.
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia dijunjung berangkat bagi sesi sembah kenal kepada kru-kru pesawat dan kemudiannya beredar untuk membuat tinjauan lebih dekat Pesawat C295MW dan diteruskan dengan sesi bergambar bersama kru-kru pesawat dan sesi bergambar ramai. Duli Yang Teramat Mulia seterusnya dijunjung masuk untuk menerima pesambah sebelum beredar ke Bilik Merbuk bagi Majlis Santap Tengahari. Sebelum berangkat meninggalkan Pangkalan Tentera Udara Rimba, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia kemudiannya dijunjung bagi menandatangani Lembaran Kenangan.
Perjanjian projek Air Transport ini iaitu pembelian 4 buah pesawat baharu C295MW telah ditandatangani di antara Kementerian Pertahanan bagi pihak Kerajaan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam, dan Airbus Defence and Space pada 2 Disember 2022.
Ketibaan dua buah Pesawat-Pesawat C295MW ini adalah berikutan dengan Majlis Customer Acceptance Test di Airbus Defence and Space di Seville, Sepanyol yang turut dihadiri oleh Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan II, Pemerintah ABDB dan Pemerintah TUDB. Upacara Introduction to Service akan dilaksanakan secara berasingan bagi merasmikan Pesawat C295MW untuk diperkenalkan ke dalam keupayaan pesawat angkut TUDB.
Pesawat C295MW ini akan meningkatkan lagi keupayaan Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei bagi melaksanakan pelbagai misi pengangkutan strategik dan taktikal dari tahap serantau dan antarabangsa seperti operasi Bantuan Kemanusiaan dan Bantuan Bencana (HADR), MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuations), NEO (Non-combatant Evacuation Operations) dan SAR (Operasi Mencari dan Menyelamat). Pesawat ini juga berupaya melaksanakan pelbagai peranan seperti Pengangkutan Anggota dan Kargo, Pengangkutan VIP, Freefall, Airborne Static Jumps, Cargo Drops dan MEDEVAC.