MUARA NAVAL BASE, Wednesday, 4 June 2014 – KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARULAMAN lead by Lt Col (L) Haji Suhailee bin Pungut and Lt Col (L) Muhd Hadi Syarifuddin bin Haji Muhd Hassanal Mega respectively, set sail to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) to be held at Hawaii, USA between 26 June till 1 August 2014.
Over 140 personnel including officers, crew and technical staff will be onboard both ships as they make their way towards the Hawaiian Islands, USA to partake in Exercise RIMPAC 2014 for the very first time.
Exercise Rim of the Pacific is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, held biannually and hosted by the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), taking place around the Hawaiian Islands. Exercise RIMPAC 2014 will involve a total of 31 nations, including 8 observer nations, 48 naval ships, 6 submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will be among those participating in this exercise. This multilateral naval exercise will run over a five-week period and will be focused primarily on naval operations including Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) Anti-Surface, Anti-Air and Anti-Submarine Warfare.
The RBN's main objective in taking part in the exercise is to further enhance the professionalism of its personnel as well as to improve individuals working as a team and in a bigger picture for the RBN to work with multinational level task groups in a conventional warfare. Strategically, this exercise is meant to enhance the Defence Diplomacy initiative in accordance with Brunei Darussalam's Defence White Paper. This initiative will add value to RBN in their ability to play a more global role, which has traditionally been more suited to other, bigger navies.
En route to Hawaii, both RBN ships will also be involved in a bilateral and multinational exercises, Exercise PELICAN 33/14 with Republic Singapore Navy (RSN) will be the first exercise conducted which will involved one of RSN’s formidable class frigate, RSS ENTREPID. Following Exercise PELICAN will be the Multinational Task Force Group Sail (MNTF) from Guam which includes, in addition to RSN, the United States Navy (USN) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). On completion of Exercise RIMPAC 2014, both RBN ships are expected to arrive in Muara on Thursday, 28 August 2014.
Among those in attendance during the slip off at RBN Jetty this morning was First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, Commander of RBN, RBN officers as well as families of the personnel involved. Also present was the Defence Adviser of Singapore to Brunei Darussalam, Colonel Lee Yong Heng.