Royal Brunei Air Force The Royal Brunei Air Force ( RBAirF ) or Angkatan Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei ( ATUDB ) as it is known by its Malay name , is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei . It is mainly based at the Rimba Air Base within the Brunei International Airport . The role of the Royal Brunei Air Force is to defend the national airspace and to provide air surveillance of the land and maritime borders . The Royal Brunei Air Force was formed on 1 October 1991 from the Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces . The Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces had operated helicopters ( the Bell 205 ) since 1965 . The Royal Air Force provides human resources specialists such as pilots and aircraft technicians to assist the Royal Brunei Air Force . History . Royal Brunei Air Force was established as the Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment in 1965 . It was first tasked to fly doctors to rural area with two Sikorsky S - 55 aircraft , which was operated by pilots from the Worldwide Helicopter Company . In 1966 , the tasks were taken over by pilots from the British Royal Air Force operating three Westland Whirlwind helicopters . In 1967 , the unit was renamed as the Helicopter Platoon and received five Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters . The Air Technical Training School was established in 1980 . In 1981 , the Second Squadron was established and equipped with six Bolkow BO 105 helicopters . The Third Squadron was establish in 1982 and equipped with SIAI - Marchetti SF260s . When Brunei assumed responsibility for its own defence from the United Kingdom in 1984 the Air Wing was expanded . On the 1 October 1991 , with the consent of The Sultan , the Air Wing was officially renamed the Royal Brunei Air Force . The Fourth Squadron was established in 1997 and was equipped with the Blackhawk S - 70A helicopters . The Fifth Squadron was also established in 1997 and was equipped with a CN - 235 plane and the Base Defence Squadron . In the same year , the Third Squadron received the Pilatus PC - 7 Mark II training aircraft . The Thirty - Eight Squadron was established in 1999 and is equipped with the Mistral surface - to - air missile . Currently , the commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force is Brigadier General Jofri Abdullah . Organisation . The Air Force is divided into 5 Wings : The Operation Wing consists of 4 Flying Squadrons and two addition units : The Air Regiment consists of 3 Squadrons and Technical Training School : The Logistics Wing consists of three units which are the Engineering Squadron , Supply Squadron and Technical Equipment Maintenance Department ( TEMD ) . The role of the Engineering Squadron is to provide and maintain aircraft serviceability for operational use . The role of Supply Squadron is to provide logistical support and equipment for the personnel . The role of the TEMD is to provide maintenance for the aircraft . The Training Wing consists of the Third Squadron , which is also known as the Flying Training School ( FTS ) , the Air Technical Training School ( ATTS ) and the Standard and Evaluation Squadron ( STANEVAL ) . The Training Wing is responsible for recruiting and training pilots and technicians , as well as preparing pilot instructor courses and flying standards . The Third Squadron is equipped with Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters and Pilatus PC - 7 Mk 2 aircraft . The Administration Wing consists of the Physical Training Section , Pay Office , Regimental Police , Military Transport and Civilian Office . Incidents . A Bell 212 operated by the air force crashed in Kuala Belait on 20 July 2012 with the loss of 12 of the 14 crew on board . The cause of the accident has yet to be ascertained . The crash is the worst aviation incident in the history of Brunei . Aircraft Inventory . There have been plans to secure fighter capability by purchasing several BAe Hawk aircraft , but these plans have been delayed on several occasions . In November 2011 , the White House announced that a deal has been secured by Sikorsky to sell 12 UH - 60Ms to the Royal Brunei Air Force .