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HEAD OF INSPECTORATE CELL
Commander Shahairil bin Haji Md Shahlan, RBN assumed the appointment of Head of Inspectorate Cell on 10 October 2025. He was commissioned as a Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) officer in 2001 after completing Officer Cadet Training at Britannia Royal Naval College, United Kingdom. Over his distinguished career, he has held various key appointments, including Commanding Officer of Maintenance, Assistance Chief of Staff Capability Development, Senior Weapon Project Engineer for MINDEF's Special Project Group and Weapons Engineering Officer onboard KDB DARUSSALAM Patrol Vessel.
Throughout his career, he has been at the forefront of RBN's capability development projects, and he was actively involved in strategic planning for the RBAF's Force 2035 vision. Notably, he contributed to the Ships Building Project for IJHTIHAD Class Fast Patrol Boats and DARUSSALAM Class Patrol Vessels in Bremen, Germany from 2008 to 2010. He played a pivotal role in introducing unmanned system capabilities as force multipliers for the RBN. From 2018 until 2023, he served as the head of the first Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) acquisition project and subsequently overseeing the formation of the Fleet Tactical Aircraft Squadron in 2023. He also led the first Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) acquisition project from 2020 to 2023. In addition, he spearheaded the transfer of the Republic Singapore Navy's former Fearless Class Patrol Vessels to the RBN between 2020 and 2021. He further contributed to RBN capacity building initiatives through the acquisition and implementation of the Full-Mission Bridge Simulator (FMBS) for the Naval Training Centre from 2021 to 2022. More recently, he oversaw the organisational restructuring of the RBN Maintenance Department and initiated several digital transformation efforts to modernise the Navy's maintenance ecosystem.
Commander Shahairil holds a Bachelor of Electronics and Micro Engineering from the University of South Australia. He completed a Master in International Security (MintSy) from Massey University in 2016 as part of the Fourth RBAF Command and Staff Course. In 2024, he completed a Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) from the University of Brunei Darussalam, where he graduated with distinction and was awarded the University Book Prize. He is also a Fellow of the University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, having completed the Executive Public Policy for Internationals programme in 2024.
In recognition of his exemplary service, Commander Shahairil was awarded with Meritorious Service Medal (PJK) and Excellent Service Medal (PIKB) for his dedication and outstanding contributions. He is a member of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Project Management Institute (PMI). Commander Shahairil is a proud father of two sons and a daughter, continues to lead with innovative approach, steadfast integrity and commitment to achieving excellence.
