Pattaya, Thailand, 05 August 16 – The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) was invited to the 1st Air Working Group (AWG) meeting with its counterpart the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). It was held from 02 – 05 August 16 in Pattaya, Thailand. The team of three officers was led by Lt Col (U) Hishamuddin bin Abidin, RBAirF Chief of Staff (COS).The 1st AWG was jointly chaired by Air Marshal Chaiyapruk Didyasarin, Deputy Chief of Air Staff and RBAirF COS with the meeting’s objectives were to enhance close relations and maintain strong cooperation between the two air forces. It was an initiative put into place after it was discussed in early 2016 between the Commander of RBAirF and the RTAF Director of Operations, and it will be held biannually.
Three main areas were discussed during this meeting namely Exchange Visits, Bilateral Exercise and Subject Matter Expert Exchange. In the Exchange Visit discussion, it was proposed that the Senior and Junior Officer Engagement Program (SJOEP) to be hosted in 2019 and 2023 by RTAF and RBAirF respectively, which will include cultural activities. The RTAF will start off the Bilateral Exercise, which will be conducted biannually, in 2017 with a small scale Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Table Top Exercise (TTX).
These would give both airforces the opportunities to learn respective Techniques, Tactics and Procedures before embarking on the Field Training Exercise (FTX). The 1st Subject Matter Expert Exchange Program, which was proposed to be hosted by RBAirF in 2017, will see the conduct of Jungle Rescue Team (JRT) discussion and workshop. Apart from the meeting, cultural activities such as visits were also prepared by the RTAF.
