MUARA, Thursday 27 February 2020 – The opening ceremony of Exercise HORNBILL series 27/2019, between the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), was conducted earlier this morning at the Naval Training Centre (NTC), RBN Base. Present as the Guest of Honour was First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Othman bin Haji Suhaili@Haji Suhaily, Commander RBN, who officiated the opening of the exercise and subsequently activated Task Group 27.1. Also present during the Opening Ceremony was Yang Berbahagia Vice Admiral Dato’ Pahlawan Syed Zahrul Putra bin Syed Abdullah, Eastern Fleet Commander (EFC) RMN, Captain Norshahrinizam bin Haji Talib, Fleet Commander (FC) RBN, Colonel Kamarudzaman bin Mohd Thani, Malaysia Defence Adviser to Brunei, as well as officers, men and women from both navies.
The Opening Ceremony began with a recitation of surah Al-Fatihah followed by an Opening Address by EFC RMN. This Opening Address was immediately reciprocated with a Welcoming Remarks by Commander RBN followed by the activation of Task Group 27.1 that comprises of KDB DARULEHSAN, KDB DARUSSALAM, KDB BERKAT, KDB SYAFAAT, KD PERAK and KD BAUNG. The Opening Ceremony was then concluded with a
Doa Selamat and a group photo session on stage.
This year’s edition of Exercise HORNBILL will mark the 35th anniversary of this bilateral naval engagement between RBN and RMN since its inception in 1985. The exercise will involve more than 300 participants from both RBN and RMN with the theme of the exercise focusing on maritime security, with the objectives of enhancing interoperability and the abilities of both navies to counter non-conventional threats at sea. The exercise comprises of three phases; the harbour phase in Brunei, the sea phase in Brunei and Malaysia waters, and the post-exercise phase in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Various professional activities will be included in this year’s exercise such as Professional Exchanges from both RBN and RMN on Maritime Security Issues, Boarding Operations workshop, At-Sea Gunnery and Maritime Interdiction serials as well as social events such as Deck Receptions and Sports Interaction.
Bilateral Exercise Hornbill underscores the close and long-standing defence ties between Brunei and Malaysia. The exercise enhances mutual cooperation, understanding, and interoperability between RBN and RMN. Besides Exercise Hornbill, RBN and RMN also interact regularly through a range of activities that includes visits and professional exchange programmes. These interactions have reinforced the strong bonds between two navies.
