TRAINING AREA B, ANDULAU FOREST RESERVE, SUNGAI LIANG, KUALA BELAIT, Thursday, 5 October 2023 – 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 witnessed Exercise SUNDA PATROL 2023 which took place at Training Area B, Andulau Forest Reserve, Sungai Liang, Kuala Belait.
The arrival of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince at the Air Movement Centre, Rimba Air Force Base, was greeted by Yang Mulia Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan,
Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Yang Mulia Brigadier General (Retired) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Alirupendi bin Haji Perudin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Yang Mulia Brigadier General Haji Mohammad Shanonnizam bin Sulaiman, Commander Royal Brunei Land Force, Colonel (Udara) Haji Mohammad Muluddin bin Awang Haji Latif, Director of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence and Captain Jonathan Caple, Royal Navy (RN), United Kingdom Defence Adviser to Brunei Darussalam before departing to the training area on board a Puma helicopter from 230 Squadron of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force.
His Royal Highness together with members of the delegation landed at Kargu Dam Landing Point and were welcomed by His Excellency John Virgoe, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam and Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Stanford-Tuck, Commander British Forces Brunei (BFB).
Upon arrival at Kargu Dam, His Royal Highness consented to attend a briefing on the Exercise SUNDA PATROL 2023 and live river crossing drill presented by Major Som Thulung, Commanding Officer of Support Company, First Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles (Support Company 1RGR). His Royal Highness then consented to view a live river crossing drill and was then invited for a group photo session.
His Royal Highness then proceeded to the Jungle Base Camp using 4 X 4 off road vehicles. On arrival, His Royal Highness was presented with a Maala garland and consented to attend an introductory briefing on the BFB presented by the Commander BFB. His Royal Highness then consented to visit the Jungle Survival Stand. While at the Survival Stand, His Royal Highness was invited to present appreciation certificates to the members of the organising committee of the Exercise and also invited for a group photo session.
His Royal Highness then proceeded for the Royal Luncheon at the training area before leaving the training ground. Present at the luncheon was Brigadier Rob Singleton, Commander 4 Brigade of the British Armed Forces (BAF) as well as resident Defence Advisors and Attaches to Brunei Darussalam. After the Royal Luncheon, His Royal Highness was invited to sign the VVIP Guest Book and were presented with a pesambah followed with a group photo session.
The inaugural Exercise SUNDA PATROL 2023 is a patrol competition hosted by BFB from 2 until 6 October 2023 for British forces units from the 1st (UK) Division to challenge their skills such as survival skills, routine patrolling, riverine operations and Close Target Reconnaissance (CTR) in the jungle or Close Country Tropical Environment (CCTE). For next year, the exercise is planned to be expanded to include participation from several invited international teams.
DULI YANG TERAMAT MULIA PADUKA SERI PENGIRAN MUDA MAHKOTA PENGIRAN MUDA HAJI AL-MUHTADEE BILLAH, MENTERI KANAN DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI BERKENAN BERANGKAT KE EKSESAIS SUNDA PATROL 2023
KAWASAN LATIHAN B, HUTAN SIMPAN ANDULAU, SUNGAI LIANG, KUALA BELAIT, Khamis, 5 Oktober 2023 – 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 menyaksikan Eksesais SUNDA PATROL 2023 bertempat di Kawasan Latihan B, Hutan Simpan Andulau, Sungai Liang, Kuala Belait.
Keberangkatan tiba Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota di Pusat Pergerakan Udara, Pangkalan Tentera Udara Rimba dijunjung oleh Yang Mulia Mejar Jeneral Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan, Pemerintah Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB), Yang Mulia Brigedier Jeneral (Bersara) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Alirupendi bin Haji Perudin, Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan,
Yang Mulia Brigedier Jeneral Haji Mohammad Shanonnizam bin Sulaiman, Pemerintah Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei, Kolonel (Udara) Haji Mohammad Muluddin bin Awang Haji Latif, Pengarah Perisikan, Kementerian Pertahanan dan Kapten Jonathan Caple, Royal Navy (RN), Penasihat Pertahanan United Kingdom (UK) ke Negara Brunei Darussalam sebelum berangkat ke kawasan latihan dengan menaiki pesawat helikopter Puma Skuadron 230 Tentera Udara Diraja, Angkatan Tentera British.
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia beserta rombongan mendarat di Tapak Pendaratan Empangan Kargu dan dijunjung oleh Tuan Yang Terutama John Virgoe, Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British ke Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Leftenan Kolonel Hugo Stanford-Tuck, Pemerintah Angkatan Tentera British di Negara Brunei Darussalam (BFB).
Sejurus keberangkatan tiba di Empangan Kargu, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia telah disembahkan taklimat mengenai Eksesais SUNDA PATROL 2023 dan Latihan secara langsung (live drill) menyusuri sungai yang disembahkan oleh Mejar Som Thulung, Pegawai Memerintah Kompeni Bantu, Batalion Pertama Royal Gurkha Rifles (Support Company 1RGR) dan seterusnya berkenan menyaksikan latihan secara langsung (live drill) menyusuri sungai. Duli Yang Teramat Mulia kemudian dijunjung untuk sesi bergambar ramai.
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia seterusnya berkenan berangkat menaiki kenderaan pacuan empat roda melalui jalan darat ke Jungle Base Camp. Setibanya di kawasan latihan, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia disembahkan dengan kalungan Maala dan disembahkan taklimat pengenalan mengenai BFB yang disembahkan oleh Pemerintah BFB. Duli Yang Teramat Mulia seterusnya berkenan membuat lawatan ke pameran Jungle Survival. Semasa di pameran Jungle Survival, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia dijunjung bagi menyampaikan sijil penghargaan kepada para penganjur Eksesais dan juga dijunjung untuk sesi bergambar ramai.
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia seterusnya dijunjung bagi Majlis Santap Tengahari dikawasan latihan sebelum berangkat meninggalkan kawasan latihan. Hadir untuk Majlis Santap Tengahari adalah Brigedier Rob Singleton, Pemerintah 4 Brigade Angkatan Tentera British serta Penasihat-penasihat dan Atase-atase Pertahanan yang menetap di Negara Brunei Darussalam. Setelah Majlis Santap, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia dijunjung untuk menandatangani Buku Tetamu VVIP dan berkenan bagi menerima pesambah diikuti dengan sesi bergambar ramai.
Eksesais SUNDA PATROL 2023 adalah pertandingan rondaan yang dianjurkan oleh BFB buat julung kalinya bermula dari 2 hingga 6 Oktober 2023 untuk mencabar kemahiran pasukan-pasukan Angkatan Tentera British daripada Divisyen Pertama (UK) dalam kemahiran ikhtiar hidup (survival skills), rondaan rutin, operasi sungai dan Tinjauan Sasaran Dekan dan Sungai (Riverine and Close Target Reconnaissance – CTR) di persekitaran hutan atau Close Country Tropical Environment (CCTE). Pada tahun hadapan, eksesais ini dirancang untuk diperkembangkan dengan penyertaan pasukan-pasukan antarabangsa yang diundang.