Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba

Aviation in the sultanate of Brunei arose due to a government desire to provide medical services in the rural areas of its territory. Two Sikorsky S55 helicopters were contracted from the World Wide Helicopter Company to fly doctors by helicopter to remote areas, particularly those which were inaccessible by road. In 1966, this service was taken over by three British pilots from the Royal Air Force (RAF), operating two RAF Westland Whirlwind helicopters, thereby signifying the start of military aviation in Brunei, officially becoming a helicopter platoon. In 1967, the Whirlwinds were replaced by a pair of Westland Wessex Mk54 (Bruneian export version of the RAF HC2 variant, construction numbers and registration: wa563 (built 1966) / AMDB-106 and wa695 (1969) / AMDB-101).[7] Three years later, in 1969, it was officially named the Air Wing,[6] and the same year, deliveries of the first of five (a sixth airframe was later procured to replace a hull loss) Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters (four 206A and two 206B-3; construction numbers and registration: 579 / AMDB-103, 580 / AMDB-104, 110 / AMDB-107, 325 / AMDB-109, 2896 / AMDB-121 [reassigned TUDB-305], and 2898 / AMDB-122 [reassigned TUDB-306]) arrived to enter service.[8]

In 1970, prior to Rimba Air Force Base, the military Air Wing of Brunei then started to operate a pair of Bell 205 helicopters from Berakas Garrison, forming No. 1 Squadron. These were subsequently replaced in 1974 by Bell 212 helicopters.[9][10] No. 2 Squadron was formed in 1981, equipped with six German Bolkow BO105-CBS helicopters (construction numbers and registration: S-408 / 123, S-409 / 124, S-410 / 125, S-411 / 126, S-412 / 127, and S-581 / 100) operating in the close air support (CAS) role.[6][11]

In 1984, as a result of the independence of Brunei Darussalam from the United Kingdom (UK), the Air Wing came under the official command of Command Task Force, Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF). On 1 October 1991, the Air Wing, Royal Brunei Armed Forces became an independent service (air force) of Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and was officially named the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), or Angkatan Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (ATUDB) in Malay. It was also operating from Penanjong Garrison during this period.[6]

1997 saw the arrival of Blackhawk S70A-14 helicopters,[12] and more significantly, a fixed-wing aircraft, namely the CN 235-300 Persuader (registration ATUDB 501) transport aircraft. This resulted in the official formation of No. 4 Squadron[13] and No. 5 Squadron on 12 September 1997. Fixed-wing training aircraft were acquired in 1998, the Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II. Security was enhanced on 4 January 1999, with the formation of an Air Regiment and a Base Defence Squadron.[6]

A US Air Force Globemaster III at Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, in 2011

Following the change on 1 January 2005 of the official Malay name of the Royal Brunei Air Force to Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (TUDB),[6] the first of the three ordered Sikorsky S-92s by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) arrived at Air Force Base, Rimba, on 25 February 2007, before being transferred to Anduki Airfield (WBAK).[14] These aircraft were transported by an Antonov An-124 from Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA.[14] During BRIDEX 2011, the United States Air Force (USAF) made their first ever participation in the event, with General Dynamics F-16s from Misawa Air Base, Japan, conducting aerial demonstrations over Air Force Base, Rimba.[15] Additionally, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) sent a Boeing CH-47SD/F Chinook for static display within Hangar B of the airbase.[16]

On the morning of 20 July 2012, having departing Air Force Base, Rimba at 08:55, a RBAirF Bell 212 was due to return to the airbase later that same morning, but subsequently was found crashed with the loss of 12 out of 14 military personnel in Rampayoh, Mukim Labi.[17][18] Investigations by the Supreme Board of Inquiry of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) concluded that the crash was caused by human error whilst in flight; specifically 'unauthorised low-level flying' which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).[18]

The fourth BRIDEX meet in 2013 seen the introduction of the newer Blackhawk variant into the Royal Brunei Air Force, the Blackhawk S70i,[19] unveiled by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei. This new acquisition of the S70i marked the end and retirement of the entire fleet of Bell 212, which spanned forty years service in the RBAirF.[6][10] BRIDEX 2013 also had participation from the United States of America, by sending a single USAF C-17 Globemaster III of the 545th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii,[20] a United States Marine Corps (USMC) MV-22B Osprey, and a KC-130J Super Hercules.[21]

On 24 February 2016, eight Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) KAI T-50B of the 53rd Air Demonstration Group, 'Black Eagles' made a planned refuelling stop at the airbase,[22] and later on 24 June, the RBAirF revealed a 50th anniversary monument at the Air Movement Centre (AMC), Air Force Base, Rimba.[23] Later that year on 16 November 2016, four Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter jets supported by an RAF Voyager tanker-transport visited the airbase.[24] On 18 July 2017, an RAF A400M Atlas C1 from No. 70 Squadron RAF visited the airbase,[25] and later from 27 until 29 July 2017, the Japan Air-Self Defense Force (JASDF) Boeing KC-767 made a goodwill visit to the base.[26]

On 24 September 2019, Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba was one of the locations used as a training area for Exercise Setia Bersama (Loyal Together) 1/2019, the nationwide ten-day military exercise conducted by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) in Brunei Darussalam. Military assets from various parts of the RBAF test and assess their level of preparedness at both operational and tactical levels, and cooperated with other agencies and 'grassroots' leaders from all districts of Brunei, and included all military camp bases.[27] A United States and Brunei joint exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) was held at the base on 22 October 2019.[28] Also noted during CARAT 2019, a USAF P-8A Poseidon operated by Patrol Squadron (VP) 10 was present at the airbase.[29]

On 2 November 2019 at 16:55, the main gate of Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba was damaged when a man in a hijacked car used it to ram into the main gate "a few times". The car, with a young boy inside, was hijacked by 24 year old Muhammad Firdaus bin Mohammad Salleh, and the impact caused the main gate to fall, which then damaged two cars parked nearby. Bin Mohammad Salleh failed to enter a plea to the charge of 'committing an act endangering the lives of the public' when appearing at the Magistrates' Court on 4 November 2019. The defendant could face a fine and up to three years imprisonment if convicted, his case was referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for a further hearing on 11 November 2019,[30] which was then adjourned by three weeks until 2 December.[31] On 8 February 2021, local man bin Mohamad Salleh was given a custodial sentence of two years six months imprisonment plus three strokes of the cane after pleading guilty at the High Court. The damage caused to the main gates was assessed to be over BND 8,000.[32]

On 14 May 2020, medical supplies donated by China to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei arrived at Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, on board an Ilyushin IL-76 from the China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The Air Movements Centre (AMC) at Rimba processed the 128 boxes of medical equipment, which included laboratory and thermal screening equipment (testing kits and ventilator support equipment), personal protective equipment (PPE), and sanitising and disinfectant products.[33][34]

From 26 until 28 January 2021, the Royal Brunei Air Force's Fire Service Flight of No. 3 Wing RBAirF completed an Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Exercise at the Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba.[35] Aside from testing the competency and effectiveness of the firefighting crews and associated emergency services, its aim was also to refine and produce an updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).[35] On 25 June 2021, a parade was held at the Air Movement Centre (AMC), Rimba, in celebration of the RBAF 55th anniversary. Of note was the introduction of Integrator into the RBAirF, a drone unmanned aerial system (UAS).[36] The decommissioning ceremony of the RBAirF's Bolkow BO105 fleet was held at the AMC within the Air Force Base, Rimba, on 5 February 2022. First introduced as a fleet of six helicopters into No. 2 Squadron, Air Wing in 1981,[11] administered and maintained by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from the UK until 1993, this ended 41 years' service of the type as latterly operated by No. 1 Wing, Operations Group.[37]

At Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, from 24 until 26 January 2023, Major (U) Muhammad Isyhak bin Haji Ismail, Acting Commanding Officer of No. 2 Wing RBAirF, took part in a three-day Air Domain Awareness Subject Matter Expert Exchange via videoconference to the Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Centre.[38] The No. 606 Squadron RAF was deployed to assist the move from temporary home base in Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba.[39] The flight effectively relocated to its permanent home base at Medicina Lines on 1 June 2023.[40]

Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba is currently home (or parent) to the following units.

No. 1 Wing RBAirF – (Operations Group)

Royal Brunei Air Force Blackhawk S70i static display at Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba during BRIDEX 2013

All 1 Wing units are based at Rimba.[41]

• No. 11 Squadron – formed 1967 and previously known as 1 Squadron,[42] operating twelve Blackhawk S70i helicopters since 2013[19] (replacing its former Bell 212 fleet[9][10]);[43]
• No. 12 Squadron – previously known as 2 Squadron, operated the Bolkow BO105-CBS fleet until its retirement;
• No. 14 Squadron – previously known as 4 Squadron,[13] operating the Blackhawk S70A[12] and Blackhawk S70i[43] helicopters in the training role;
• No. 15 Squadron – operating the medium-lift fixed-wing CN 235-300 Persuader transport aircraft in the cargo, troop transport, paratroop drop, and patrol (maritime and border) roles.

Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba displays a retired Bell UH-1 helicopter (military version of the Bell 212) as its gate guardian on a traffic island roundabout just inside its main gate.[52]

• Bolkiah Garrison — main base and headquarters of the Royal Brunei Land Forces
• Muara Naval Base — main base and headquarters of the Royal Brunei Navy

Media related to Rimba Air Base at Wikimedia Commons

• Aviation Safety Journal — directory of ASJ bulletins by the Head of Aviation Safety, RBAirF, at Rimba