By The Diplomat | Created at 2026-09-28 16:47:05 | Updated at 2026-09-28 18:34:37
3 hours ago
The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), which turned 60 in June, finds itself in a rapidly changing geostrategic environment, characterized by conflict and instability. Brunei is unlikely to suffer outright military aggression but could face spillover effects of increased super power confrontation in the region.
Brunei’s recent defense white paper identified major power rivalry, regional and global conflicts, radicalization, and rapidly advancing disruptive technologies as sources of concern. It also laid out a path to secure national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The RBAirF is actively looking to expand its means to do so, including with plans to acquire medium-range ground-based air defense systems and fast-jet combat aircraft.
Currently, the RBAirF operates a small fleet of modern turboprop-powered fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. In May, Brunei took delivery of the last two CASA (Airbus) C295W medium-airlift aircraft, first ordered in 2022. The aircraft replaced older C235 aircraft in the No. 15 Squadron in territorial and maritime surveillance, airlift, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.
For rotary-wing tactical airlift, search and rescue, and combat air support (CAS), the RBAirF operates a fleet of 12 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters and a handful of ageing BO105 helicopters. The latter is slated to be replaced by six Airbus H145M multirole helicopters.
Finally, for basic flight training, the RBAirF flies four Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop aircraft. The aircraft were put into service in 1997, which makes them among the oldest aircraft in Bruneian service and in dire need for replacement.
To meet the air force’s mission – “to deliver responsive air power in securing Brunei Darussalam’s territorial integrity and national interests” – amid a changing security environment, more capable combat aircraft are also needed urgently.
As the RBAirF considers the acquisition of a squadron of fast-jet combat aircraft, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are lining up to offer their fighters to Brunei Darussalam.
Options like the Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Viper offer a leap in capability for the RBAirF and come with closer ties with the U.S. defense industry and Washington D.C. However, the F-16 or an equivalent is not the best solution for the RBAirF as it seeks to enter fast-jet operations. Any decision regarding the RBAirF’s future combat aircraft should go beyond simple fighter comparisons and consider the air force’s broader requirements across its stated roles.
Entering fast-jet operations also poses new training demands for the air force. Brunei will need a revised flight training syllabus and modern training aircraft to ready its future generation of pilots.
Training Jets
Brunei could consider adopting the Singapore model by dispatching pilots to another country for advanced jet training (Phase 3-4), or join international advanced military flight training courses in Italy or Canada, while maintaining the elementary and basic training (Phase 1-2) at home.
Alternatively, the RBAirF could acquire the Embraer A-29 or Textron Aviation T-6 Texan II turboprop trainers to replace the aging PC-7 Mk. II fleet to meet its own advanced training (Phase 3) demands.
Some air forces like Switzerland, for example, employ modern turboprop aircraft to fulfill their pilot training needs entirely (Phase 2-4), enabling pilots to transition from turboprop aircraft directly to jet combat aircraft.
Moreover, both Embraer and Textron offer missionized and armed variants of their aircraft, which would offer Brunei an affordable light combat aircraft capability. The A-29 and AT-6 can be equipped with advanced electro-optical and infrared search and track, and laser track sensors, gun and rocket pods, and a variety of precision-guided munitions.
Critically, this would allow the RBAirF to meet many of its CAS, counterinsurgency (COIN), combat search and rescue, airborne forward air controller, armed reconnaissance, helicopter escort, and border and maritime surveillance patrol missions assigned to it with greater efficiency and capability than is possible today.
Therefore, the two types offer substantial value at low cost. They would help support the Bruneian ground forces and navy, and other government agencies, and offer major savings that come from maintenance, operational, and training synergies of operating a common platform that meets the RBAirF’s basic military flight training requirements while fulfilling many of its lower end combat needs.
To effectively protect Brunei’s airspace against intruders and assist in land and maritime border surveillance, rapid response (i.e., Quick Reaction Alert or QRA) is of essence.
Neither the current turboprop aircraft or helicopters, nor turboprop light combat aircraft, can effectively intercept fast-moving and high-flying intruders near Bruneian sovereign airspace or above the exclusive economic zone. Therefore, the RBAirF requirement for fast jet combat aircraft is understandable.
Multirole Light Combat Aircraft
To meet the requirement, Brunei should consider acquiring modern multirole jet-trainer aircraft and their light combat aircraft variants, which could also fulfill the majority of the air force’s border protection and combat requirements.
Good candidates to fill this role include, for example, the Leonardo M346F Block 20 and the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) TA/FA-50 Block 70 advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft from Italy and South Korea respectively. Like the previously discussed turboprop options, Leonardo and KAI aircraft offer many synergies like in maintenance, training, and operations.
The M346F Block 20 is a missionized advanced jet trainer, which is equipped with a modern active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, advanced cockpit with large-area display, and a helmet-mounted sight, datalink, targeting pod, short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles and a range of precision-guided air-to-ground and antiship weapons.
Similarly, the latest FA-50 versions, such as the FA-50M and FA-50 Block 70 destined for Malaysia and the Philippines respectively, are fitted with an AESA radar, a targeting pod, a datalink, and a range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
Critically, the AESA radar, targeting pod, datalink, and the ability to carry both within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range missiles, enable the aircraft to take up the essential QRA and combat air patrol duties and respond to any airspace violations with force, if needed.
The FA-50 holds an important advantage over the M346 in this regard. It can use its afterburning F404 powerplant to accelerate to a supersonic speed and reach the farthest reaches of Brunei’s EEZ faster than what is possible with the subsonic Italian aircraft.
Besides their light combat aircraft attributes, both types were originally designed as advanced jet trainers to meet the common Phase 3 training requirements. The addition of a radar, fire-control computer and associated data bus, hardpoints, and weapons have enabled the use of the aircraft in lead-in fighter training (Phase 4) as well.
In addition, both aircraft are equipped with large-area displays, helmet-mounted sights, and Virtual, Live, and Constructive (VLC) training aids, which promise to transform jet training in the coming years. The use of VLC allows air forces to achieve many previously difficult to resource training, such as large-force operations or weapons deployment at a significantly lower cost.
For example, VLC can emulate a fire-control radar and simulate a beyond-visual-range missile engagement with all associated target and missile-launch symbology and cues projected on the displays and the helmet. Air forces can dispatch a pair of aircraft into air (“live”) while other trainees may join the same mission in simulators (“virtual”), while facing virtual enemy aircraft (“constructive”) – all linked to the same VLC environment.
Moreover, due to the rapid technological change and observations drawn from conflicts around the world, one-way attack drones (OWAD) have become a prominent aerial threat that requires solutions from air forces and the industry.
Understanding this demand, OEMs like Embraer, Textron, and Leonardo market their aircraft as cost-effective counter-OWAD platforms, equipped with AESA radar and/or targeting pods, datalink, gun pods, short-range air-to-air missiles, and semi-active laser-guided rockets to address the threat.
Therefore, light combat aircraft offer the RBAirF a cost-effective solution to stand up fast-jet operations from zero.
Lessons From Brunei’s Neighbors
A good point of reference is the Philippine Air Force (PAF), which made a return to fast jets with the FA-50PH between 2015 and 2017, after a ten-year pause in operating fighter aircraft. The PAF took delivery of 12 aircraft and signed a follow-on order in 2025 consisting of 12 FA-50 Block 70 aircraft.
During the last decade, the PAF has made great strides in training and reacquiring the skills needed to operate fast jets. Today, Manila is not just looking to expand the well-liked FA-50 fleet but also to acquire a higher-end multirole combat aircraft.
The Philippine example shows that it can take a decade or more to develop required operational proficiency and human resources, and capacity to operate fast jets.
The KAI aircraft has become a popular type in Southeast Asia and is operated by four air forces, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
In comparison, the M346 remains a less well-known type in the region, although it is used by Singapore for basic jet training, with its entire fleet based in France due to training area constraints in the island state.
In addition, Indonesia recently placed an order for a total of 48 M346F Block 20 aircraft, which will transform the Indonesian Air Force’s flight training and help replace ageing BAE Hawk aircraft in both jet training and light combat duties.
Modern trainer aircraft, which also come in light combat aircraft versions and are equipped with modern sensors, datalinks, air-to-air missiles, and precision-guided munitions offer significant cost benefits and training, operational, and maintenance synergies for small air forces.
For the RBAirF, these aircraft offer the most cost-effective pathway to fast-jet air power. One must not run before learning to walk.
