RIMBA AIR FORCE BASE, MONDAY, 29 JUNE 2020 – The first series of Exercise PENGUIN Air Phase, a joint exercise coordinated by the Joint Force Headquarters, commenced with an opening ceremony that took place at the Air Movement Centre (AMC), Rimba Air Force Base today. Exercise Penguin is conducted between Royal Brunei Armed Forces, specifically Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) and Royal Brunei Air Force, and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and will be carried out in Brunei Darussalam from 29 June to 14 July 2020. One Blackhawk S-70i from RBAirF, KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARUTTAQWA of RBN will conduct military exercise together with RAN as well as the P-8A Poseidon from RAAF.
Present as the Guest of Honour was Colonel Norhazalan Bin Haji Abdullah, Chief Of Staff of Joint Force Headquarters (COS JFHQ) RBAF. Also present were Lt Col Dan Hauser, Australian Assistant Defence Attache to Brunei Darussalam, Commander Willie Mathias Padan, Fleet Chief of Staff RBN, Lt Col (U) Hismawadi Bin Hj Mohd Said, Acting Commander Ops Group and Squadron Leader Adam Steff, head of RAAF delegation.
Exercise PENGUIN Air Phase aims to strengthen the relationship and enhance mutual cooperation and understanding through interactions and exercises. Ex PENGUIN Air Phase will also provide personnel from both navies and air force with the opportunity to experience operating with other friendly nations and provide a common understanding of how other forces work jointly and have air and sea assets conduct operations together to gain valuable knowledge and share expertise.
