REPUBLIC OF INDIA, Monday 18 May 2015 – The Royal Brunei Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Command and Staff Course 5 (CSC5) currently in its 2nd semester, has successfully arrived back from its Overseas Staff Tour (OST) to India.
The 34 participants including 15 international students led by Deputy Commandant of RBAF Defence Academy Lt Col (U) Mohd Sallehin bin Haji Mohd Taib departed from Brunei Darussalam International Airport on 10 May 2015.
The delegation’s intended aim was to participate effectively in a Defence Diplomacy mission and enhance understanding of both the political and military strategic policies of India. It also aimed at looking into India’s look East policy which has seen India viewing the access of the maritime super highway within the Asia-Pacific region as an emerging ‘Centre of Gravity’ due to the critical requirement of Energy Security in the world. This forms part of the objective of CSC in developing the right framework for addressing security issues within the Asia-Pacific region.
In the recent visit, all CSC5 participants were provided with the opportunity to interact and engage in professional and academic discussions with the Indian Armed Forces institutions such as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (DACIDS) in New Delhi MINDEF, Agra Air Force Base and Headquarters of the Western Naval Command (WNC) Mumbai; Defence Training institutions such as The United Service Institution of India (USI) and Raj Rifle Centre Delhi; and regional think-tanks such as Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi and Mumbai.
As part of a cultural experience, CSC5 were also able to visit one of the wonders of the world – Taj Mahal in Agra, which signifies India’s rich culture and history. The participants also experienced a Mumbai city tour where the participants were shown places of interests such as the Bombay or Mumbai bombings that forms part of the internal security issues that India has faced over the rise of terrorism.
The importance of the visit signifies the strength in Brunei’s diplomatic relations with India in the area of Defence cooperation and Defence diplomacy which both nations strongly uphold. CSC5 is scheduled to graduate in October 2015.
