List of equipment of the Royal Brunei Land Forces

The equipment of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) can be subdivided into: infantry weapons, vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), and radars. The vehicles operated by the RBLF usually have the identification of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces painted on them.[1]

Bruneian platoon during a peacekeeping mission in Port Dickson District in 2015

Vehicles

Ground vehicles

VehicleImageTypeOriginQuantityNotesRef.
Light tanks
FV101 Scorpion CVR(T)
Light tank  United Kingdom20As of 2003, 16 tanks have been upgraded[2][3][4]
Light mobility vehicles
Al-Thalab
Light armoured assault vehicle  Japan
 Jordan
Unknown[5][6]
Toyota Land Cruiser
Armoured assault vehicle  JapanUnknownSpecial Forces Regiment Vehicle; equipped with blue LED lights, bulletproof glass, and tactical elevated system. All vehicles are in Black colour scheme.[7]
Armoured personnel carriers
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB) VTT
Armoured personnel carrier  France45[8]
FV105 Sultan
Armoured command vehicle  United Kingdom2[3][9][10]
FV106 Samson
Armoured recovery vehicle  United Kingdom1[3]
Transport vehicles
DefTech Handalan I/II
Transport vehicle  Malaysia115[11]
Iveco EuroCargo
 ItalyUnknown[12]
Iveco VM 90
 ItalyUnknownPossibly VM 90T Torpedo lesion with tarpaulin covered rear.[13][14]
Mercedes-Benz Atego
 GermanyUnknown[15]
Kia KM450
Light utility vehicle  South Korea1Acquired in 2018[16]
Land Rover Wolf
 United KingdomUnknown16 acquired in 2017; several painted white for ceremonial purposes.[17][18]
Land Rover Defender
 United KingdomUnknown[12]
Polaris MRZR-4
 United StatesUnknown[17]
Mitsubishi Triton KA/KB
 JapanUnknownSeveral L200s operated by military police.[19]
Suzuki DR-Z400
Reconnaissance vehicle  JapanUnknown[20]
Kawasaki KLX250
 JapanUnknown[20]
Suzuki GSX750
 JapanUnknownOperated by military police.
Rescue and medical vehicles
Toyota HiLux (AN10/AN20/AN30)
Battlefield ambulance  JapanUnknown2 acquired in 2013[18]
Land Rover Wolf
 United KingdomUnknown
Ford Ranger T6
 United StatesUnknownServe areas inaccessible to domestic ambulances[21]
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB) VTT
Medical evacuation vehicle  FranceUnknownOperated by combat medics and Medical Reception Services (MRS)[22]
Artilleries
L118
Towed howitzer  United Kingdom6[23]
Communications vehicles
MAN TGS
Brigade command post  Austria
 Germany
UnknownAt least 5 acquired in 2023.[24]
Engineering vehicles
Iveco Daily
Van  ItalyUnknownUsed by the

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Company of the Support Battalion.

[25]
Nissan UD90
Light dumper truck  JapanUnknown2 acquired in 2013[18]
Scania P-series
Tipper Truck  SwedenUnknown1 acquired in 2013[18]
M30H TrackwayMedium ground mobility system  United States55 acquired in 2022[26]
Grove GMK3050All-terrain crane  GermanyUnknown[27]
tEODorOrdnance disposal robot  GermanyUnknown[28]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
DJI Matrice 300 RTK
Man-portable mini-unmanned aerial vehicle  People's Republic of ChinaUnknownUsed by Intelligence Section[29]
DJI Mavic 2
Unknown[30]


Watercrafts

VehicleImageTypeOriginQuantityNotesRef
Fast boat
KH-27Patrol boat  Brunei5Used for patrols and search and rescue operations[31][32]
Diamondback AirboatsAirboat  United StatesUnknown[33]
Inflatable boat6Acquired in 2017[18]

Firearms

ModelImageCalibreOriginVariantNotesRef
Pistols
Browning HP
9×19mm Parabellum  Belgium
 United States
[34]
Pindad G2
 IndonesiaG2 Elite[35]
SIG Sauer P226
 West Germany
  Switzerland
Used by the Special Forces Regiment (RPK)[36]
Submachine guns
Heckler & Koch MP5
9×19mm Parabellum  West GermanyMP5A3/MP5SD/MP5KUsed by the Special Forces Regiment (RPK)[20]
Heckler & Koch MP7
4.6×30mm  GermanyMP7A1[37]
Assault rifles
M16 rifle
5.56×45mm NATO  United StatesM16A1/A2Standard infantry rifle for all branches[38]
Bushmaster M4 Carbine
 United StatesM4A1Standard carbine rifle for the Army, include Special Forces Regiment[20][39][40]
SAR 21
 SingaporeLimited use[41]
Sniper rifles
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
.308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO  United KingdomAWMUsed by the Special Forces Regiment (RPK)[42][43]
SAKO M591
.308 Winchester  Finland[44][45]
Machine guns
M2 Browning
.50 BMG  United States[46]
Ultimax 100
5.56×45mm NATO  Singapore[47]
L7A2
7.62×51mm NATO  BelgiumMAG-58[48][49]
SIG MG 710-3
  Switzerland[50]
Shotguns
Winchester Model 1200/1300
12/16/20 gauge  United States[51]
Grenade launchers
M203
40mm grenade  United States[34]
Grenades
M75
Hand grenade  Yugoslavia[52]
Bayonets
M7
Spear point  United StatesThe M7 bayonet fits onto the muzzle of the M16 rifle[53]
Mortars
L16
81mm mortar  United Kingdom
 Canada
[54][55]
Man-portable anti-tank systems
Armbrust
67mm projectile  West Germany500 bought in 1985, eventual requirement was for 2,000[50][8]
C90-CR (M3)
90mm rocket-propelled grenade launcher  Spain
Man-portable air-defense systems
Mistral
90mm MANPADS  France[56]

Attires

Current attire
NamePattern namePatternImageOriginNotes
Digital Disruptive Pattern (D2P)Digital Disruptive Pattern
 SingaporeIntroduced in 2011, produced by Singaporean company Force-21; standard RBLF uniform pattern.[57][58]
Harimau Gurun Desert PatternDigital Disruptive Pattern
 MalaysiaA variant of the Malay Tigerstripe Woodland pattern but with earth-brown stripes on a light green and sand-coloured background. Used during the United Nations's 2010 UNIFIL.[59]
Obsolete attire
Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM)Disruptive Pattern Material
 United KingdomIt is a locally produced copy of British DPM;[60] replaced by D2P in 2011.[57][58]

Historic equipment

Bruneian soldiers armed with L1A1 SLRs in Australia, 1969.

Future equipment

There are reports that Brunei is or was interested in Indonesian APCs to replace the VAB APC[70]

During BRIDEX 2011, the Turkish company FNSS Defence Systems was looking forward in securing a deal with the Brunei government for Armoured combat vehicles (ACV).[71]

Brunei has expressed purchasing between 40 and 50 of the Indonesian/Turkish Harimau/Kaplan medium tank.[72]

Brunei has also shown interest in Russian equipment including:[73]

References